John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Question 7: To ask the Minister for Transport the role his Department played in the development of the new Government Green Paper on energy policy; and the long-term forecasts his Department has for the use of energy in the transport sector to the year 2030. [29916/06]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Substantial work was undertaken by the Department of Transport in preparing input for the energy Green Paper that will be published by the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources shortly. As set out in the Department's statement of strategy 2005 to 2007, a key objective is to secure a sustainable transport network that balances economic, social and environmental considerations. We are mindful, in particular, of the need to reduce the energy intensity of the transport sector.

With regard to long term-energy demand forecasts for the transport sector, Sustainable Energy Ireland prepares forecasts for energy trends. It recently published a report, Energy in Ireland 1990-2004 — Trends, Issues, Forecasts and Indicators, which developed forecasts for energy demand in all sectors including the transport sector up to 2020.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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That reply tells me nothing. It tells me what Sustainable Energy Ireland has done but nothing of the Minister's views. The report by Sustainable Energy Ireland on energy and transport paints a bleak picture for Ireland in a world where oil is getting more expensive and carbon emissions must be reduced. Our energy use has increased by 150% in the past 15 years. Last year it increased by 8%. Road freight has gone through the roof. Not surprisingly under the Minister's management, rail freight has disappeared.

We are facing two major political challenges. Global oil production is about to peak, making it increasingly difficult for Ireland, one of the most oil dependent countries in the world. We have a moral obligation to tackle climate change. This requires radical cuts in emissions. The fastest growing sector for emissions is transport. What are the Minister's long-term plans to cut those emissions and reduce our use of oil? Future generations will look back and ask what were we doing. Were we asleep? Did we read the signs and not plan for the long term?

Why are we not cutting oil use and transport emissions? Our current policies are heading in the wrong direction. This year, not one public transport project will be opened. Instead, the Minister will cut the opening ribbons on a dozen roads. How will we reduce the 8% annual increase in oil use when oil prices are doubling? The Minister's reply gave me nothing in this regard.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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This is the essential dilemma for the Green Party and whoever it might want to be with in Government.

Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Fianna Fáil.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy presents all the advances made in the economy as negative. The answers to some of his questions are issues of which we should be proud. For example, our employment numbers have doubled from 1 million to 2 million people and prosperity has come with that. Ireland has one of the most modern, efficient and open economies in the world. Demand for our goods and services has gone through the roof. I will not deny this has placed a heavy burden on our transport system. Ireland, like many other countries, is grappling with the global impact of energy costs on transport and emissions. However, there are no simple solutions to this.

In Transport 21, I did not present a "more roads" solution for Dublin and other areas. I presented a €16 billion investment in public transport, a large commitment to getting people out of their cars with a resulting impact on vehicle emissions. There is clearly a major onus on manufacturers in this regard and some of them are beginning to make serious advancements in terms of better use of fuel economies in cars, lorries, trucks and even buses. As part of our energy policy, I intend that some of the new buses that will shortly begin to come on stream will be more fuel efficient vehicles in terms of the energy sources they use.

The Government has enormous commitment to energy efficiency. As a former Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, I understand the issues involved and our commitments under the Kyoto Protocol. These targets are not easy to achieve because they are, to a degree, in conflict with the demands of the burgeoning, fantastically successful modern economy which this country now enjoys, led by the policies of the Government in the past ten years. There has been a price to pay for this but we should not write it all off as negative. I am interested in whether the Green Party does not want to build roads or have people drive their cars. What does the party want?

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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The Green Party utterly disagrees with the paradigm the Minister presents of a choice between the economy and the environment. We agree with the views expressed by Al Gore in his recent film on climate change, which outlines the simple realities of the situation and refutes the Minister's image of a weighing scales with the economy on one side and the planet on the other. Without a planet, we will not have an economy.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I agree.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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The public has the sense to realise that the solutions that will deliver a new green future are positive for society and the economy. The Luas service, for example, will allow for the development of enterprise, and more rail lines will benefit the economy in the future. It is ridiculous that each time the issue of our emissions and climate change is raised, the response is that the Green Party will wreck the economy. That is not the issue. Unless we reduce our use of fossil fuels, the Minister will wreck our economy because he is leaving us exposed to the future peak in global oil production.

There are a dozen changes the Minister could make tomorrow. As highlighted by this report, the fuel efficiency of vehicles is decreasing. He should ask the Minister for Finance to address this so that we begin to purchase leaner vehicles. The Minister could choose to begin building a rail line to Navan tomorrow morning instead of running a motorway through the Hill of Tara. He could build a spur to Shannon so that air passengers can access the airport by rail.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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We are taking all these actions.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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The Minister's lack of ambition and delivery is failing the public. The shocking aspect is that he does not even address these questions with any real intent.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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It is clear that the Green Party would crush this economy if it were in government with Labour and Fine Gael. I do not know how they will figure this out. They would crush the hopes and dreams of people in this country.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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That is nonsense.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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It is clear the Deputy has not read Transport 21 because all the projects to which he referred are not only no longer dreams on paper but are becoming a reality. Work has begun on all those projects in terms of design, looking at alignment, land routes and so on. More resources have been provided by this Government than any other in the past. Given the size and scale of this country, the €34.5 billion allocated in a ten-year framework represents one of the greatest investments per capita in public transport development in the world. Neither I nor Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats in Dublin need any lectures from the Green Party about commitment to the environment.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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The figures speak for themselves.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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It is a challenge for all governments to find a way of harmonising economic advancement with respect for the impact of that development on the environment. I am committed to meeting that challenge.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The Minister can show his concern for the environment by taking one simple action. He must stop the sale by CIE, which it is currently undertaking, of the freight infrastructure and all the equipment associated with the Guinness contract. It is being sold off because CIE failed to secure the contract. I suspect it did not try very hard. It is now selling off the capacity that would allow that service to be recommenced by another operator. If CIE does not want to provide it, somebody else should do so.

The Minister must show his concern in this matter. Our roads are being completely clogged with heavy goods vehicles, HGVs, which are more likely to be involved in accidents and are completely destroying the environment. Per tonne carried, rail freight produces only one tenth of the emissions produced by HGVs. Will the Minister order CIE to stop the sale of not only the infrastructure associated with the transportation of the Guinness kegs but the property and equipment it is selling throughout the State?

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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It is not doing so.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The Minister keeps telling me that is the case but I can give him chapter and verse on the reality of the situation. He is sitting back and allowing this to happen. We will never be able to bring this equipment back. It may not be economically viable to CIE but it may be so to somebody else. The economics are changing daily given the increasing cost of oil and in terms of the fees we will have to pay to the EU for emissions.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I am the first Minister for Transport in decades——

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Will the Minister answer the question? Will he stop the sale of this equipment?

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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——to restore the rail network and build new rail lines.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Will the Minister say whether he will stop the sale of the equipment?

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I am answering the question. On Monday of this week we began the launch of the western rail corridor. The rail link to Navan will be opened and we will develop other commuter routes. It is now open to the private sector to participate in rail freight.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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However, CIE is the regulator and while it does not want the equipment, it does not want anybody else to have it either.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I am as concerned as the Deputy that companies are choosing not to use the rail system for their freight. The truth is it is expensive when compared to the road network.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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The Minister is subsidising the road network.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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If Deputy Mitchell gives me details of the infrastructure that is being sold off, I will be happy to deal with it.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I can give the Minister chapter and verse on that.