Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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42. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to convert the Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann fleet to use low carbon and sustainable energy sources such as electric, LPG or other fuels to reduce fuel costs, tackle pollution and encourage development of our natural resources; his plans to encourage a similar conversion among private car users in line with EU directives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31042/13]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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The National Transport Authority (NTA) is responsible for procuring Public Services Obligation (PSO) vehicles on behalf of Dublin Bus and Bus Eireann.  EU Directive 2009/33/EC requires that the NTA take environmental and energy criteria into account when making such procurement decisions. As this matter is more appropriate to the NTA,  I have forwarded your query to them for direct reply. With regard to encouraging a switch to more sustainable energy sources for private car users, my Department and the Department of Energy, Communications and Natural Resources are actively promoting electric cars and the ESB is supporting the deployment of these vehicles by rolling out publicly accessible charge points.

The Government is continuing to incentivise the purchase of more energy efficient private cars through the motor tax and VRT systems.  The proportion of new vehicles registered in emission bands A and B increased from 12% in 2005 to 92% in 2012.