James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for her response. It is interesting to hear the initiatives that the Department is bringing forward. There will be many challenges before the haulage sector. Internationally there has been much difficulty in logistics, which is the Minister of State's area of responsibility. We have to be conscious that there is another key demand on the whole industry where it is expected to try to reduce its carbon footprint. If the Government is going to insist on that, and if that will be insisted on at European level, it is important that we introduce a suite of measures and supports to help the sector. It is interesting to hear from the Department that efforts are being made. There is also the issue of autonomous vehicles. Ireland could be an international test bed in that area. It would potentially reduce a lot of stress on haulage workers in the very near future as technology advances. That could be one area that might help to reduce the overall greenhouse gas emissions from the sector, which would be important for the Department to consider.

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