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Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 May 2018

Tuesday, 22 May 2018

Ceisteanna (472)

Timmy Dooley

Ceist:

472. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the discussions held between his Department and a company (details supplied) regarding the recent emissions scandal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22232/18]

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Freagraí scríofa

Following revelations of the existence of  so-called 'cheat devices' being used in Volkswagen Group vehicles, officials from the then Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, along with officials from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, and the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI), who have responsibility for vehicle type approval in Ireland, met with representatives of the company in February 2016 to ascertain the extent of the problem in Ireland and learn of the company's proposals for remediation. There have been no further meetings with the company since then.

The use of these devices highlighted a number of regulatory shortcomings in EU legislation, most notably that the current emissions test cycle in the EU is not representative of actual “on road” real driving conditions.  To address these issues the EU introduced revisions to the test cycle to be more representative of emissions from the real-world driving experience (RDE). Ireland fully supports this approach and its early implementation.  From 1 September 2017, the new RDE tests are compulsory to determine whether a new car model is allowed to be placed on the market.

My Department’s interest in this matter relates primarily to the levels of NOx emitted from the transport sector, and I do not have policy responsibility for the specification or roadworthiness of any vehicles.  The EU position in this area is managed by the Technical Committee - Motor Vehicles.  The Road Safety Authority, which is under the aegis of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, is the agency that attends the committee's meetings on behalf of Ireland.

Consumer protection issues are ultimately a matter for the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation. That Department is also the parent Department of the NSAI which deals with type-approval for road vehicles.

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