Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Question 227: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has entered into an arrangement for the purchase of electric vehicles in 2009 to 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44021/09]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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While I am aware of initiatives by the Department of Transport and other Departments and agencies in relation to electric vehicles, it is the case that there is not an electric car available today in the mainstream market. Accordingly my Department has not entered into an arrangement for the purchase of any electric vehicles in 2009 or 2010. In 2009 to date my Department purchased six official vehicles in respect of our Missions abroad. Five of these were replacement vehicles. In addition there were five vehicles purchased by Irish Aid. Three are replacement vehicles and two are new vehicles which were purchased for the Malawi country programme, Irish Aid's most recent programme country.

Since the beginning of 2006, carbon emissions have been taken into account in vehicle purchases made by my Department. In June 2008, in order to take account of the wider availability of new technologies, my Department issued an updated policy position on the purchase of official vehicles, which ensures that environmental considerations are taken fully into account, as existing vehicles are replaced. My Department's vehicle procurement policy is kept under regular review and will be refined as needed, to ensure that we keep pace with technological developments and best practice in this rapidly changing area.