Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Táim ag roinnt ama leis an Teachta O'Donoghue. Tá áthas orm deis a fháil anocht chun labhairt ar an topaic fhíorthábhachtach seo agus na fadhbanna a mbaineann léi. I am very happy to speak briefly on this important issue this evening. Addressing how all sectors, including transport, can reduce emissions is vitally important, not least because it reminds us that there are obligations on areas other than that of agriculture.

In the short time I have, I will raise a matter that has been brought to my attention by members of the Irish Car Carbon Reduction Alliance, ICCRA. This group brings together the majority of new car dealers in Ireland, representing almost every car brand. According to the ICCRA, the Government's stated objective to ban the sale of new diesel and petrol cars and to have 1 million electric cars on Irish roads is unachievable, counterproductive and not in line with what is happening at EU level. It is only leading to increased carbon emissions as Irish motorists delay switching their older cars to newer models which offer significantly reduced carbon dioxide emissions and almost zero nitrogen oxide emissions due to new manufacturing innovations. The ICCRA says that it has seen at first hand widespread consumer confusion over this proposed ban leading to inertia in purchasing and a year-on-year decrease in sales of new cars, which are cleaner for the environment and produce less emissions. In short, as sales of new cars fall, emissions will rise.

The ICCRA believes that Ireland's car-related carbon emissions can be reduced provided a number of key challenges are addressed. The first relates to the timeframe for electric vehicles. The EU and European car manufacturers signed the Paris Agreement, which commits to reduce emissions from transport by 90% by 2050. European car manufacturers have pledged that they will not produce internal combustion engines after 2040. The focus in the interim is on reducing carbon emissions, with a commitment to reduce these by 15% by 2025, 30% by 2030 and 90% by 2050. Irish national policy needs to adopt this focus and this effective approach because there will not be enough electric vehicles available in Ireland to achieve anything like 1 million electric vehicles by 2030. Manufacturers have already clearly stated that the innovations and scale required for electric vehicle production will not deliver on these volumes and that the 2040 timeframe towards which they are working is the most realistic.

Ireland must work to this timeframe too. Is this something the Minister will commit to revising? Will he work with the ICCRA and others so the views from these stakeholders can be heard and, indeed, dealt with in a collaborative and constructive manner?

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