Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 28 April 2021
212. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport the estimated cost of replacing State vehicles which are owned by his Department or agencies under his remit with hybrid or electric models; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21217/21]
View answerProviding a sustainable, low-carbon transport system is a key priority of my Department. The Programme for Government commits to 7% average annual emissions reduction to 2030; ultimately, the goal is for a zero-emission mobility system by 2050. The transport sector, which accounts for about 20% of Ireland’s overall carbon emissions, must play a central role in the national decarbonisation effort. The national car and van (LGV) fleet accounts for almost 60% of all land transport emissions, and so a transition to low emissions vehicles, including EVs, is a necessary step-change to effect a substantial reduction in transport emissions.
Electric vehicles (EVs) are the most prominent transport mitigation measure in the 2019 Climate Action Plan, and Ireland has set an ambitious target of 936,000 EVs on our roads by 2030. This target is challenging but indicates the scale of the transformation that is needed across all sectors if Ireland is to achieve its climate targets in the coming years. The Government, supported by the work of the Low Emission Vehicle Taskforce, has worked to ensure that conditions and policies are in place to support citizens in making greener vehicle choices. A comprehensive suite of measures is available to EV drivers, including purchase grants for private car owners and taxi drivers, VRT relief, reduced tolls, home charger grants, favourable motor and BIK tax rates, as well as a comprehensive charging network. These measures have collectively contributed to increased take up of EVs in Ireland in recent years, albeit from a low base.
There are 11 commercial and 8 non-commercial agencies under the remit of my Department. I have forwarded the Deputies question to each agency for direct response. Please contact my Office if no reply is received within 10 working days.
In addition, there are 27 vehicles registered to my Department, all of which are run on diesel or petrol. It should be noted that this data was extracted from the National Vehicle and Driver File database and as such is not an asset list.
Many of these are vehicles which have specific requirements owing to the nature of the work they are deployed to assist, such as heavy equipment transportation or emergency response, which may make replacing them with an electrically fuelled alternative impossible or significantly more expensive. When vehicles fall to be replaced, my department will replace them with electrically powered alternatives, where the cost and suitability of the vehicles for the purpose required allows.
The work of Phase 1 of the LEV Taskforce, established by my two Departments to consider a full suite of potential measures available to Government, concentrated on EVs and, as part of this work, the important leadership role that Public Bodies and Government Departments can play in encouraging LEV uptake was considered. The Taskforce recommended the introduction of a new public procurement framework for EVs by 2020 and this recommendation was echoed in the Climate Action Plan where Action 149 was to "enable the deployment of electric vehicles in public sector fleets".
The Office of Government Procurement has drawn up fixed price procurement frameworks for the supply of long and medium range battery electric passenger cars and vans to public sector bodies. Full details on how to use the framework as well as pricing and supplier contact details can be found on the www.ogp.gov.ie website. These Frameworks will greatly assist Government departments and bodies to purchase electric cars and vans. As battery and recharging technologies develop and a greater range of vehicles become commercially available I expect an increasing number of public bodies to transition to EVs.
