Michael D'Arcy (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate what Senators Horkan and O'Donnell have said. They will be aware that, although it is not provided for in the Finance Bill, the Minister in his budget speech said that we will try to encourage and incentivise the use of electric vehicles. We have moved beyond a one-year opportunity for the benefit-in-kind incentive and it will form part of the next budget and, it is hoped, the one subsequent to that. In his speech on Second Stage, the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, announced his intention for the 0% tax rate to remain in place for a minimum of three to five years such as will be sufficient to incentivise the uptake of electric vehicles and that a comprehensive review of benefit-in-kind tax on such vehicles will take place next year to inform decisions for the next budget, including how best to implement the 0% benefit-in-kind rate for electric vehicles in the longer term. All Members are in broad agreement that electric vehicles are the future for cars. There will be other developments at some stage in terms of driverless cars and so on when the relevant technology is further advanced.