Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 5 Apr 2001

Vol. 534 No. 2

Written Answers. - Greenhouse Gas Emissions.

Bernard J. Durkan

Ceist:

110 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the extent to which exhaust emissions have been reduced or increased in the past five years; if motor manufacturers have succeeded in effecting worthwhile reductions in this area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10339/01]

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government (Mr. D. Wallace)

Significant progress has been made in strengthening vehicle emissions standards, most recently under the EU auto oil programme. Mandatory 1993 exhaust emission standards in the case of all petrol engined vehicles and certain light diesel engined goods vehicles were most recently amended with effect from 1 January 2001. In the case of heavy goods and passenger vehicles mandatory 1994 emission standards became more stringent with effect from 1 October 1996.

Direct time line comparison of the standards is not possible in all cases because of differences in the way in which they were specified initially in certain EU directives. In the case of petrol and small diesel engines the following are the reductions in emissions from new vehicles, based on improved type approval requirements, between 1993 and 2001:

CO emissions from petrol engines:27%

CO emissions from small diesel engines:80%

Combined HC and NOx from small diesel engines:50%

Particulate matter from small diesels:72%

The current type approval requirements in force for new large diesel engines provide for reductions in emissions of 18% for carbon monoxide, 11% for hydrocarbons, 22% for nitrogen oxides and 62% for particulate matter compared with the 1994 requirements.

Data on total national road transport emissions are disaggregated in the national emission inventories from 1990-1998 contained in Table D-5 of the EPA report "Emissions to Air 1990-1998", a copy of which is in the Oireachtas Library. The 1999 national emissions inventories prepared by the agency have been provided to the UN Economic Commission for Europe, and a copy will be forwarded to the Deputy.