Brendan Ryan (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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24. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the steps he is taking to ensure Ireland complies with European transport 2050 targets to reduce emissions, including, the target to move 30% of freight transport to rail networks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32784/16]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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​​I understand that the Deputy is referring to the 2011 EU Commission White Paper 'Roadmap to a Single European Transport Area', which included a target that 30% of road freight over 300 km should shift to other modes such as rail or waterborne transport by 2030.  This would be an overall target for the Union, rather than individual Member States, and of limited relevance in Ireland as few trips here are over 300 km.  In any case, European Commission White Papers are documents containing proposals for action. While not binding, their purpose is to launch a debate.

The Paris COP21 Agreement of December 2015 underpins global momentum towards emissions reductions. In October 2014, the European Council agreed to reduce GHG emissions by 40% by 2030 (compared to 1990), based on reductions in the ETS (43%) and non-ETS (30%).  In order for Ireland to effectively and equitably contribute to the EU emissions reduction commitments, an ambitious low-carbon development strategy, the National Mitigation Plan, is currently being developed.

The Plan will reflect the overall aims of the National Policy Position on climate action and low carbon development, published in April 2014 which envisages that its development will be guided by a long-term vision of low carbon transition.  The responsibility for emissions reduction is, of course, a collective one and Ireland's EU emission reduction targets are national and not sectoral in nature. Specific focus is being placed on the sectoral areas of electricity generation, the built environment, agriculture and transport. When all sectoral inputs have been co-ordinated, the draft mitigation plan will be available for extensive public consultation before being submitted for approval to Government.

Transport will of course have to play a significant role on the national mitigation effort. The measures under consideration for transport are wide-ranging and focus on modal shift, movement to alternative fuels and targeted behavioural change and these apply to freight (including rail freight) as much as to passenger movement. To date, considerable progress has been achieved through measures aimed at promoting improved technologies such as the rebalancing of Vehicle Registration Tax and Motor Taxation as well as the increase in the biofuel obligation rate.​