Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I accept that. There is a problem here and now and for the coming years for many people in those areas or people who are living in Dublin and have to travel to Kildare to work. This is not exclusive to the midlands. People in Dublin who have to travel out of Dublin for work are affected. Workers on the median to average wage who are not in a position to buy an electric vehicle, who do not have the cash upfront, and who cannot raise the finance are effectively caught. They have to do considerably longer journeys. I am a great advocate of getting people working close to home and, if possible, from home.

We need to move people away from commuting, which is important. For now, as things are designed within the economy, that is where matters stand. Those to whom I refer are not in a position to make that change at this point. They have to pay the extra carbon tax while those who can afford to purchase electric vehicles up to the value of €60,000 get a grant of €10,000, which is substantial. I would argue that the cap should be looked at again in terms of the vehicle involved. I worked in the motor trade a long time ago. I am no longer involved but one of my family is. Should we be subsidising luxury cars? That is the question. People who have to travel a distance need reasonably good vehicles; they do not need luxury cars. I am not sure that we should be subsidising them to that level while people who cannot afford these vehicles are stuck in high-emission petrol or diesel vehicles.