Mr. Kevin McPartlan:

I do not disagree with the Deputy. Modal shift is the holy grail. That is the most effective way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transport but we need to be realistic and say that we cannot have penalties without alternatives. I came in from the suburbs of Dublin. I could have got the Luas, I could have cycled, I could have walked if I had taken the time and I could have driven in. That is fine because I have those options. I think of my mother in north Cork, who does not have all of those options. At 76 - she will kill me for that - she is not going to start cycling around north Cork. We have to be realistic and say that, yes, we need to look for a modal shift as the first alternative, if we are serious about reducing emissions from transport, but we also have to accept that, while we may say that they should not, people will continue to use private transport, as will the essential haulage sector.

We can either leave those emitting as they are or we can do something about it. Electrification is the best option if they are going to continue to use motor vehicles and we think, in concert with that, that we should be looking at advanced synthetic and biofuels. We are trying to look at every possible alternative. We are not suggesting that the use of advanced synthetic and biofuels is not the most effective way of decarbonising transport. We think it is the most effective thing we can do, alongside our commitment to providing electric vehicle charging.