Catherine Martin
Ceist:228. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the details of payments made from the green public transport fund. [7500/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 14 February 2019
Ceisteanna (228)
Freagraí scríofa
The Green Public Transport Fund was established by my Department in 2017 to support the uptake of low carbon, energy efficient technologies within the public transport sector. The fund was envisaged to support the piloting and uptake of energy-efficient and alternatively fuelled technologies for Public Service Obligation (PSO) operations within the bus fleet and small public service vehicle (SPSV) sector, as well as bridging the price differential between such technologies and conventionally fuelled vehicles.
The role of the Green Public Transport Fund has, however, evolved in line with new policy commitments and increased ambition. Under Project Ireland 2040 the Government has committed that from July 2019 onwards we will no longer buy diesel-only buses for the urban public bus fleet. In order to prepare for the implementation of this, the Fund is being deployed to undertake an up-to-date and comprehensive set of vehicle trials to help further inform purchasing decisions for new buses over the coming years.
The trials commenced in December 2018, and the fuels and technologies being tested include full electric, diesel-electric hybrids, hydrogen and compressed natural gas. The trials will assess CO2 emissions, impact on air quality and the contribution potential towards sectoral renewable energy targets, as well as costs, vehicle availability and operational/infrastructural requirements. The trials are ongoing in Dublin and Cork, and it is expected that they will end in April 2019.
The Fund has also been used to support the transition of the national SPSV fleet to alternative technologies through the establishment of a new Electric Vehicle SPSV Grant Scheme. Under this Scheme, which was launched in April 2018 and is administered by the National Transport Authority on behalf of my Department, a grant of up to €7,000 or €3,500 towards the purchase of a battery electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle respectively is available for vehicles in the taxi/hackney/limousine sector. By the end of December 2018, almost 50 vehicles had received this grant.
In 2018, €252,117 was drawn down from the Green Public Transport Fund for the eSPSV Grant Scheme, while €166,298 was spent on the Low Emission Bus Trials – a total spend of €418,415. The increased take-up under the eSPSV Grant Scheme as more suitable vehicle models came on the market and the scheme became better known in the later months of 2018, coupled with expected funding requirements of the Low Emission Bus Trials, means that a higher draw-down from the Green Public Transport Fund is expected this year. To date in 2019 €80,785 has been drawn down from the Fund.