Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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I welcome the section. It is fine. I am for promoting electric cars. However, if there is any idea in the Department or the Government that the answer to reducing the amount of greenhouse gases produced by the transport sector is electric cars, then it is missing the point. Transport is the second biggest producer of greenhouse gases in Ireland. The way to reduce greenhouse emissions by the transport sector is to change the entire mode of transport and to get people from individual vehicles into public transport. That is the way that there will be a serious impact on the problem as opposed to just incentivising and pushing electric cars in particular. The problem is that the Government's approach on public transport is to slash and burn. The subvention has been drastically reduced by €67 million since 2008. That is a cut of 70%. We can see the results at present in the attacks on wages and conditions and the necessary strike by Irish Rail workers. Does the Minister agree that while electric cars and vehicles are positive, they are not the main answer to dealing with the problem of the transport contribution to greenhouse gas emissions?