At the AGM, he commented that he has experienced the highs and lows of the industry. “Some great years and some terrible years. And unfortunately, 2019 will not go down in the annals as a great year.
“Over the last three years we have seen the new car market decline by nearly 25pc. Obviously, Brexit was the main cause of this downturn and while we are by no means out of the woods on Brexit, there is a feeling that a softer Brexit may become a reality. I believe that if this happens, we will see growth in the new car market in 2020.”
Another cause of this decline is because of the increases in Vehicle Registration taxes in the last budget. Mr Keane remarked that the result is that the Government’s tax take on new cars will be down this year despite the tax increases. This, he said, is a loss for the industry and also for the Exchequer.
He added that achieving a better taxation regime for cars and having environmentally cleaner cars on our roads is a key objective for the SIMI. He called on the Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe to take this into account in the next budget in October by implementing any changes in vehicle taxation that will allow the Industry sell more new cars next year.
Having joined the Motor Industry nearly 30 years ago, Gabriel has gained extensive experience. His previous roles included Director of Nissan Ireland and Managing Director for the Windsor Motors. In 2014 he established Kia Liffey Valley which has become the largest Kia dealership in Ireland and one of the top ten Kia dealers in Europe.
Mr Keane thanked the members of the Society for allowing him the honour of being President and said he looks forward to serving the members in the coming year.
