Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister’s comments. I would like a period of three or five years to be enshrined in the Bill. I accept that the Minister seems to be moving in the right direction. At the same time, experience has taught us to be wary. I had a discussion today with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Shane Ross, about the fact that every single one of the many buses we purchased over the past six years is powered by diesel . There is a significant movement away from diesel right across Europe. Several European cities will have no public transport diesel by 2025.

We have all bought things which we cannot throw away. However, I was shocked to find that we bought new buses which are 100% diesel powered. I tabled a motion which was ruled out of order, perhaps because the matter was not discussed in committee. I wanted to equalise the tax on diesel and petrol in order to encourage people to move further away from diesel. I understand there are issues around that, such as the commercial use of diesel, and there is a body of work to be done to make sure businesses are not crucified. However, there has to be a genuine move away from diesel in the direction of renewable energy. It is to be hoped that will happen. When I hear that all of the new buses purchased in the past four years are diesel powered it makes me wary.

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