Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

With due respect to the Minister of State, whatever civil servant wrote her contribution does not know much about the transport industry. There are no articulated lorries in Ireland or Europe at the moment that run on electricity. Whoever wrote the contribution needs to go back and read up on the matter.

As Deputy O'Rourke pointed out, gas is now more expensive than diesel. It costs €18,000 to convert a lorry from diesel to gas. As Deputy O'Donoghue pointed out, the new Euro 6 engine has drastically reduced emissions and we should examine using it to help the haulage industry. The Minister of State is correct in stating international prices of fuel have increased, but every time they do so, the Government gets 65% of the price. It is like a hen clucking. The more the price increases, the more the Government will get. It receives 40 cent more on every litre of the same product in a year because the price has changed, so there is room. I do not say this for the hauliers; I say it for the ordinary people because the food of Ireland is transported throughout this country on lorries.

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