Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Two days ago The Irish Timesreported that an application by Dublin Bus for funding to provide hybrid buses in Dublin had been rejected. Coincidentally, yesterday I met some representatives, including Mr. Coyne, of Dublin Bus at a briefing that had been organised by my colleague, Deputy Dooley, our party's transport spokesperson. They pointed out to me that the way the industry was developing in Europe was focusing on more efficient diesel engines. I was somewhat surprised at this because some weeks ago, representatives of the non-fossilised gas industry made a presentation to the Joint Committee on Transport and Communications. They stated that the motor industry particularly in Italy and France has been converting to this hybrid form of non-fossilised gas. They expected that similar vehicles would become available in Ireland.

I declare a bit of an interest here in that in the 1970s, I had a liquid petroleum gas, LPG, tank installed in my car. As pointed out, that was a fossilised fuel that came from oil. However, the new gas is non-fossilised. I took the point they made in response to the query I raised about the refusal of funding. I understand that they have three buses on trial at the moment and they may have been looking for more. In light of the heightened awareness of the adverse effect of carbon emissions on our climate and the whole issue of climate change, does the Minister not believe this is the way to go? Was it because the industry norm for buses is different from that for private cars? That was what they pointed out to me. I was somewhat surprised that the bus industry was continuing with diesel, albeit a cleaner and more efficient diesel. All I have read about diesel indicates that regardless of how efficient it is made, it still has a high CO content that adversely impacts on the environment. I would like to understand this. I know I am throwing the Minister a policy issue out of the blue. Has he or have his departmental officials thought about this as the way forward for the public transport system in order to minimise carbon emissions?