Lawyer Robert Clifford said the legal impact of the revelations regarding Volkswagen's cheating in emission tests will be "massive" and that car buyers have not got what they paid for - and Volkswagen is facing a possible bombardment of legal cases.

He said people who bought the manufacturer's were also affected because of "diminution of value" - meaning their car could now be worth less.

Mr Clifford claimed VW owners could have problems keeping their car on the road as officials might refuse to issue number plates and permits in regions where they are found to have cheated in state tests.

The lawyer is currently representing two people who are pursuing a class action lawsuit against VW - they say they would not have bought they cars had they known they were not environmentally friendly.

The company now faces a criminal investigation in the US and further probes in countries including Germany, France and South Korea.

Ireland's Road Safety Authority (RSA) has released a statement which says that it it monitoring the situation and waiting until the European Commission indicated if the company also cheated in European tests.

It reads, “The RSA notes the recent disclosure by Volkswagen in relation to its testing of vehicle emissions to the appropriate American standards.

"It is our understanding that the European Commission is determining whether the European Emission Standard Testing has been affected by Volkswagen's announcement and the RSA is being kept abreast of same."

Volkswagen admits the software - which kicks in during exhaust tests - may be in some 11 million vehicles worldwide.

The "defeat devices" meant true emission levels, as much as 40 times the level legally allowed in the US, were hidden.

At least 482,000 cars are to be recalled and VW could face penalties of more than $18bn in the US alone.

The German company's boss, Martin Winterkorn, is under increasing pressure ahead of emergency talks.

He will meet members of the firm's board later today after the scandal wiped out a third of the company's value, £19bn, in just two days of stock market trading.

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has also confirmed an investigation, saying, "No company should be allowed to evade our environmental laws or promise consumers a fake bill of goods."

Volkswagen's boss has apologised but gave no undertaking to resign.

"I am endlessly sorry that we have disappointed this trust,"  said Mr Winterkorn in a video message.

"I apologise in every way to our customers, to authorities and the whole public for the wrongdoing. We are asking, I am asking for your trust on our way forward. We will clear this up."

But Mr Winterkorn has reportedly lost the confidence of shareholders after stocks fell a further 20% on Tuesday.

The company has set aside €6.5bn (£4.6bn) to cover the scandal and has warned the bill could rise.

Additional reporting from IRN