Mr. Ger Hyland:

I thank the Chair, Deputies and Senators for their invitation to address the committee today. I am here as president of the Irish Road Haulage Association, which is the representative body for the licensed road haulage sector, which is also the backbone of Ireland’s supply chains.

As an island economy, more than 90% of our goods are transported by Irish-registered operators. This means that the State has a unique ability and responsibility to shape the emissions profile of our national fleet. As key stakeholders, we fully support the national ambition to reduce transport emissions, but I must emphasise that there are real barriers that, if unaddressed, will prevent Ireland from meeting its 2026 to 2030 climate targets. Almost half of Ireland’s heavy goods vehicles are over ten years old and nearly all are diesel powered. At present there is no commercially viable alternative for long-haul freight. Compressed natural gas, CNG, has not taken off, liquefied natural gas, LNG, is unworkable in Ireland, hydrogen and battery-electric trucks remain at trial stage, and the infrastructure to support them does not exist. For the coming decade, diesel, specifically the modern Euro 6 diesel engine, remains the only practical option. Without State support to accelerate fleet renewal, our progress will stall.

Our sector operates on the tightest of margins. Hauliers cannot pass on the cost of expensive new technologies when customers award contracts almost exclusively on price. While other EU states provide clear fiscal incentives for lower emission vehicles and fuels, Irish hauliers face higher excise and carbon taxes without equivalent supports. For example, hydrotreated vegetable oil, HVO, can cut emissions by up to 90%, yet in Ireland it costs up to 25 cent more per litre than diesel due to tax treatment. That is a clear policy contradiction and one which only the Government can reconcile. Ensuring our sector achieves its climate change targets requires action, not just lip service by Government.

There are practical, immediate low-hanging fruit measures that could cut emissions today but which remain unimplemented. Examples include incentives to replace older trucks with Euro 6 models, rebates and tax support for low-carbon fuels like HVO and biodiesel blends, smarter traffic management such as express HGV toll lanes and sequencing traffic lights to avoid unnecessary idling, and supporting night-time port operations to reduce congestion. These measures would cut fuel use, emissions and costs and improve safety. Again, as a sector, we cannot implement these measures without Government support and co-ordination. The onus, responsibility and capacity to deliver these measures rests with the Government.

The current policy is too often aspirational rather than practical. Ambitious targets assume a rapid uptake of technologies that are not yet available. This creates a credibility gap between national goals and industry realities. The consequence is a missed decade. A phased, evidence-based approach, beginning with upgrading to the cleanest diesel available while building hydrogen and EV infrastructure, is the only viable pathway. Progress needs to be grounded in realities and not vague aspirations.

We urge the State to maintain and adapt the diesel rebate scheme and introduce a specific rebate for the non-fossil component of our fuel mix. This would directly support the climate action plan while shielding hauliers from disproportionate cost burdens. Equally, exempting licensed hauliers from the M50 toll would remove a regulatory cost where no alternative route exists.

The IRHA members are committed to decarbonisation, but unless the barriers of fleet age, lack of viable alternatives, absence of infrastructure and misaligned taxation are addressed, Ireland’s transport emissions will remain stubbornly high. We stand ready to work with Government to deliver realistic, evidence-based measures that reduce emissions today while preparing for the technologies of tomorrow.