AVERAGE WEEKLY REVENUES at the firm that operates the National Car Test contract last year increased to €2.26m after the first price hike in the cost of an NCT since 2012.

New accounts filed at the Companies Registration Office (CRO) show that Applus Inspection Services Ireland Ltd’s pre-tax profits increased by 7% from €6.59m in 2024 to €7.06m in 2025.

This followed revenues at the Spanish owned company increasing by €14.44m, or 14%, from €103.22m to €117.67m as the NCT firm completed a record-breaking number of tests in 2025.

The directors state that “overall performance during the year was positive reflecting the increased throughput primarily as a result of increasing headcount throughout the network for both NCT and VRT services”.

Revenues and profits increased after the Road Safety Authority (RSA) increased the price of an NCT from €55 to €60, with the price of a re-test rising from €28 to €40 and the increases came into force on 1 January 2025.

The price hike was the first since 2012.

The firm generated the revenues from a record-breaking 1.74m tests in a single year, which topped the previous record of 1.73m tests completed in 2024.

Between 1 January and the end of April this year, a total of 626,307 tests have been completed.

The directors state that the number of tests carried out was “consistent with expectations given the current trading environment”.

Numbers employed by Applus last year increased by 12 from 843 to 855 and staff costs increased by 3% from €48.85m to €50.34m.

The ten-year NCT contract operated by Applus concluded in June 2020 and the firm successfully re-tendered for a new ten-year contract.

The company last year recorded an operating profit of €6.96m before net interest payments of €98,638 resulted in the pre-tax profit of €7.06m.

The firm recorded a post tax profit of €6.22m after incurring a corporation tax charge of €831,885.

The operating profit takes account of non-cash depreciation costs of €4.8m.

The firm’s revenues last year consisted of €108 million in NCT revenues, €9.4million in VRT Import Conformance Inspection income and ancillary income of €410,327

Directors’ pay last year totalled €287,422 made up of emoluments of €251,212 and pension payments of €36,210.

The firm’s shareholder funds last year totalled €9.23m. Cash funds totalled €1m.

No dividend was paid last year after a €7m dividend was paid out in 2024.