Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Finance if the auto-diesel excise duty rebate relief will be extended to private coach operators; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57461/12]

Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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To ask the Minister for Finance if, in respect of Budget 2013 whereby an excise rebate was announced on diesel for haulage companies to come into effect on 1 July 2013, he will indicate that same applies to passenger transport companies and particularly those involved in the coach and bus operation businesses; if in this context that the rebate definition would have to include the carriage of passengers by a motor vehicle of category M2 of category M3 as defined in Council Directive 70/156/EEC; if he will consider ensuring that the said rebate is extended to bus and coach companies in the forthcoming Finance Bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57605/12]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Finance in view of his statement that under EU law a fuel rebate system may not be restricted to Irish licensed hauliers but would have to be extended to all vehicles intended exclusively for the carriage of goods by road with a maximum permissible gross laden weight of no less than 7.5 tonnes, as well as the carriage of passengers by a category M2 vehicle or category M3 vehicle; if it is lawful now to confine the fuel rebate scheme announced in the budget to goods vehicles only; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57740/12]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Finance if permission has or will have to be sought from the EU for the essential users rebate for road haulage operators; the reason that was given for excluding vehicle for the carriage of passengers; if it is now intended to include M2 and M3 category passenger vehicles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57741/12]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 66, 82, 100 and 101 together.

The proposal to introduce an auto-diesel excise duty relief for licensed road hauliers that I announced in the Budget is confined to licensed and tax compliant hauliers. However, I have received a number of submissions from, and on behalf of, private coach operators seeking to have this relief extended to them. I will consider this proposal in the context of the Finance Bill. I will inform the European Commission when the measure is introduced.