Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 24 March 2021
287. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Transport the extent to which the decarbonisation of the public transport sector continues towards the meeting of targets; the incentives currently available or likely to become available to the private sector in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1834/21]
View answerAn efficient and low emitting public transport system is a key priority of Government. As the public transport sector is responsible for less than 5% of our land transport emissions, in absolute terms, converting public transport fleets to lower emitting alternatives will have a limited impact on national emission reductions. Nevertheless, greening the public fleet does fulfil a strong leadership role and I am committed to continuing to make public transport journeys less carbon-intensive. A comprehensive programme of work to green the sector is already underway, and there is a clear vision to move towards zero-emitting vehicles where and when possible.
In our national bus fleet we already have hybrid buses in operation and the expectation is to introduce fully electric town buses in the near future. Beyond urban bus services, my Department is also funding electric vehicle pilot projects in rural areas under the Local Link programme.
In terms of heavy rail, we are looking to expand electrification through the DART+ programme which will ultimately mean around 70% of journeys in any given year on the rail network will be on electrified services. In addition, we are expanding capacity on the Luas Green Line and will look at route options for Luas Cork, Luas Lucan and the preliminary design for Luas Finglas in the coming months. I also intend to seek Government approval in relation to MetroLink, a new largely underground electrified metro service in Dublin. Furthermore, I have launched an electric vehicle (EV) scrappage scheme to enhance the supports available for taxi and hackney drivers switching to EVs.
Collectively, these measures will see us progressively modernise and lower the emission profile of our public transport fleets, as well as creating an attractive alternative to the private car. As the Deputy is aware, I am fully committed to a shift towards public transport and active travel as a means of decreasing transport emissions. We’ve seen some welcome additions to active travel infrastructure and our public realm in recent months, as Local Authorities across the country have put in place measures to support local communities and businesses through the COVID crisis. And we want to build on these types of initiatives and support them through our commitment of €1.8bn over the lifetime of Government for active travel. This level of investment along with our significant investment in greening public transport will help improve quality of life and reduce emissions and air pollutants from the transport sector.
Beyond public transport we must also look to tackle emissions from the rest of the vehicle fleet. Most land transport emissions originate from passenger cars (just over half of emissions) with the heavy freight sector accounting for a further 18% approximately. The State is providing incentives to mitigate the cost of, and encourage the transition away from, conventional fossil fuel vehicles towards lower emitting fuels and technologies in these sectors.
For private cars, the Government has introduced a comprehensive suite of measures to encourage the uptake of EVs, including purchase grants for private car owners and taxi drivers, VRT relief, reduced tolls, home charger grants, favourable tax regimes and an extensive public charging network. These measures led to a significant increase in EV numbers on Irish roads, albeit from a low base. There are approximately 30,000 EVs under taxation in Ireland at the moment. An Electric Vehicle Policy Pathway Working Group has also been established to consider additional regulatory, financial and taxation measures to further increase the rate of EV uptake.
In the freight sector, we are seeking to limit emissions in three main ways:
(i) at EU level, Ireland continues to work to secure improved vehicle standards;
(ii) at home, we are funding research projects specific to considering emission mitigation measures in the Irish freight sector; and
(iii) we are supporting companies to transition their fleets to lower emitting alternatives through a new Alternatively-Fuelled Heavy Duty Vehicle Purchase Grant whcih launched on the 15th of March 2021.
Together measures in the public transport, private car and freight sectors will steadily decarbonise the transport sector and help Ireland achieve its emission reduction targets.
