Paudie Coffey (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister and his officials to the House and thank him for his informative contribution. This Bill is essentially about raising motor taxes. It is a revenue raising exercise in which the motor tax receipts go to the local government fund. The Minister claims to be raising revenue for local authorities. However, while he gives to one hand, his colleague, the Minister for Finance, takes from the other because the local government fund has been cut from between 5% to 7% across all local authorities. Unfortunately, the motorist again is the fall guy.

The Bill provides an opportunity to compare transport choices as well as debate other issues such as motor vehicle choice, road safety and public transport. It is widely acknowledged that transport is responsible for a large percentage of Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions. This raises questions about how emissions can be reduced and the Government's role and responsibilities in this regard. While I agree we must incentivise the purchase and maintenance of lower carbon emitting and more fuel efficient cars, the great irony is that we are not reducing our overall transport carbon emissions. There is increased dependency on car usage. Public transport needs urgent focus and attention, not the lip service we regularly hear from the Government's spokespeople.

Despite numerous assurances over many years, there is still no adequate bus competition in public transport. There is also much room for improvement in the promotion of usage by the public of our train services. I travel regularly by train from Waterford to Dublin. Normally, a train ride should be enjoyable, relaxing and an energy efficient mode of transport. However, I regularly see people standing on the Waterford-Dublin service from Kilkenny onwards. Not even hot teas or coffees are available. In short, it is a sub-standard service and not an adequate incentivised public transport system. We must incentivise rail travel. We must improve customer experience so people are encouraged to use trains more. Passenger comfort and services are a main factor in this.

Another factor is the frequency of rail services and the travel times. Travelling by train from Waterford to Dublin takes two and three quarter hours from Plunkett Station in Waterford to Heuston Station, Dublin. With transfers from home and from Heuston Station to Leinster House it can take a total of up to four hours and a half hours. The other day I was waiting nearly 35 minutes for a public bus connection from Heuston Station to Kildare Street. It is advertised that the bus comes every 20 minutes. That is not a good enough public transport service. That is why people are not using our public transport systems and there is greater dependence on cars. If I choose to drive, it takes me three hours, or a maximum of three and a quarter hours from my house to Leinster House. That includes idling in traffic so there is no incentive to use the train, although I try to use it as much as possible. How many thousands of people are like me?

Regarding roads and roads investment, the Minister, through this Bill, is essentially collecting increased motor taxes and handing them to the Minister for Transport who then allocates them to the various local authorities. There are many issues in the areas of road safety, road conditions and road maintenance that should be fully audited prior to the allocation of grants. The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government or the Department of Transport needs to carry out a full audit of all local and regional roads in terms of the number of hazards and traffic accidents on the roads. There should be a full electronic database of all junctions, bends, and maintenance and re-surfacing programmes, down as far as even the inlets and drains on the sides of the roads. A database should be held by all local authorities for keeping a regular systematic programme of maintenance, and this should be accompanied by digital mapping systems for obvious accident blackspots and signage. This should be recorded and readily available to the public on databases. This system would introduce a more accountable, responsible system of road maintenance programmes that are funded through the allocation of the roads grants to which the Minister referred.

There is a very dangerous junction called the Tinhalla junction on a regional road in my area, the R680 between Carrick-on-Suir and Waterford city. It is a totally blind spot for those entering the main regional road. Despite numerous petitions from the public and notices of motion from councillors, the local authority claims it does not have the funding to improve this junction. The council has applied to the Department and has been refused funds. Perhaps the Minister and his officials may take up that issue because it is a very dangerous junction on a regional road that needs to be addressed. Funding has been sought but is not forthcoming.

A full audit and database of roads in our country should be an obligation of local authorities. This should be encouraged by the Government. The system is just too ad hoc at the moment. It is important to let motorists know the benefits of investment in the roads, especially when we are raising taxes. Then we can justify raising car taxes but not until then.

I note from recent reports that for the four-month period of July to October 2008, 80% of car sales were for the lower emission cars. In the same period last year, just 40% of car sales were for the lower emission cars, so the trend is very positive, as the Minister outlined. I acknowledge that and it is clear now that consumers are choosing more efficient cars. However, it is quite obvious from looking at forecourts throughout the country that cars are not selling in the current climate. Many people are tied into the old system of taxation.

I believe in electric vehicles and they should be promoted at every opportunity. There is major potential for the Government to incentivise the use of vehicles propelled by electricity. At last week's Oireachtas joint committee meeting, the ESB expressed a great interest in investing in infrastructure to facilitate the expansion in the use of electric vehicles. The Government has a role in this by providing incentives and resources, such as charging docks along national primary routes. There should be a programme for the roll-out of these systems to facilitate the recharging of electric vehicles when they come into use. This is an area that should be expanded upon. There is no vehicle registration tax on electric vehicles and tax breaks for business are available, but the Minister should clarify whether individuals can purchase an electric vehicle and claim a tax break. If not, why not? We should incentivise the area.

I refer to old abandoned vehicles, a problem I have raised on previous occasions. There is very little incentive in Ireland to dispose properly of the older, retired vehicles. We hear every day of too many incidents of abandoned vehicles left in fields and woods. We also hear of youths being sold these vehicles for as little as €50. They go rallying in very dangerous circumstances, with the registration plates and chassis numbers removed. This is a major problem and creates a burden on local authorities, fire services, the Garda Síochána and State agencies such as Coillte. It costs quite a lot every year. I recommend that the Department commission a report to investigate the cost of abandoned vehicles to the State. It would be worthwhile to create incentives for facilities that allow people, the car industry and local authorities to dispose properly of these vehicles. I ask the Minister to consider that.

Fine Gael opposes raising car taxes for the sake of revenue raising. The Minister outlined that we are trying to reduce carbon emissions. With a very poor transport sector, we are losing the battle in that sector. It is not good enough to raise car taxes without identifying other transport areas. The Minister will make some attempt in this regard.

The Government must tackle the local government funding system in a more transparent and equitable way. I look forward to the White Paper and the Minister's proposals for local government funding. We must have this national debate to which local authorities, councillors, citizens and Oireachtas Members are looking forward.

Why are motorists the soft target for increases to facilitate the local government fund? This policy discriminates against those dependent on cars, such as those living in rural areas, towns and villages, and regional citizens who are at a disadvantage compared with those in large urban centres. Urban centres have public transport systems, albeit limited, but the car is essential, not a luxury, in rural areas to get to school and to work. I ask the Minister to consider that. I look forward to contributions from other Senators.