Car registrations in May were up 4.25% to 15,470 from 14,839 the same time last year, according to the latest figures from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry.
SIMI said that year to date registrations are up 7.8% to 108,412 from 100,571 in the January to May 2003 period.
In a statement this morning, SIMI called on voters to make motoring costs and poor infrastructure election issues.
'Planners and decision makers have struck rigidly to a doctrinaire approach aimed at forcing motorists off the road and blaming them for congestion when the complete lack of infrastructure is clearly the problem,' commented SIMI CEO Cyril McHugh.
'Instead local councils and transport planners need to recognise that the answer to congestion is ring roads around all major urban areas, good public transport and well located and cheap Park & Ride facilites for those who do not want to bring cars into cities,' he said.
He also urged motorists to demand that MEPs make the abolition of Vehicle Registration Tax a priority.
