Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice raised the issue earlier and I agree with him. There is a lot of talk about climate change and electric vehicles and it is said that a certain percentage of the bus fleet should be battery operated. It is now a fact and it is coming home to roost that batteries, even in cars, are giving a lot of trouble. Will this be another ridiculous experiment that will cost the Exchequer, taxpayers and fare payers? Road hauliers and others were before the committee and complained that the Euro 6 diesel engine does not affect the climate and that there are no emissions from it. Why, when we have something right, do we have to experiment, make changes and go down some other road about which we are not certain? The signs are that battery-operated vehicles will not last. I spoke earlier about Bus Éireann vehicles being over 20 years of age. If the officials expect buses operated by battery will last 20 years or more, they need to think again because it will not happen. There is so much talk about climate change. If we were reduce our emissions altogether, our contribution would amount to only 0.13% in the worldwide context.