That was the stark warning today from Alan Nolan of the Society of the Irish Motor Industry.
He said that the trade had kept job losses in the business at 25% in the last year despite a drop in business of 70%. But he warned that this is unsustainable.
An estimated 6,000 jobs have been lost in the trade in the last 12 months.
Adding that a scrappage scheme is a 'no brainer' to help the trade he said that a properly managed scheme would not alone take 'dirty' cars off the road but would help the state coffers substantialy.
"Each car sold means €5,000 for the state," he noted.
