Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 265: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if the State, in procuring vehicles for the public service and for the Ministerial fleet in particular, should lead by example and purchase vehicles which generate less harmful emissions than other vehicles; if in this regard a bias should be shown towards cars that embrace bio fuel or hybrid technology in these procurement decisions rather than cars that are fuelled by petrol or diesel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22065/07]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 266: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if in the selection of official cars, he considers vehicles that are powered by diesel or petrol to be less sustainable vehicles from an environmental perspective than vehicles powered by biofuels or hybrid technology; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22066/07]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 265 and 266 together.

It is generally accepted that vehicles powered by biofuels and hybrid technology can have significantly reduced emissions compared to equivalent conventional models.

The Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, which organises the purchase of the Ministerial fleet through the Government Supplies Agency, has purchased 7 hybrid cars for the Ministerial fleet, one of which has been assigned to me. In order to ensure that the most suitable vehicles are purchased, the requirements for the Ministerial fleet are subject to regular review and assessment, having regard to a range of criteria including overall cost, safety, emissions, fuel efficiency and the function of the vehicles.

As regards vehicles purchased by my own Department, the entire fleet of the National Parks and Wildlife Service, numbering some 150 vehicles, is capable of running on biodiesel.

More generally and in accordance with the National Climate Change Strategy, the Government is developing a Sustainable Transport Action Plan under which public sector fleet operators will be required to publish strategies to reduce emissions from their fleets including the increased use of biofuels. Dublin Bus and Bus Eireann have already been instructed by the Minister for Transport to move all their existing fleet to a 5% bio-fuel blend and to plan to achieve a 30% bio-fuel blend in all their new buses.