John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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676. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the actions the Government has taken on the international emissions scandal surrounding a company (details supplied); the investigation the Government has established to investigate whether the company's cars on sale here actually comply with EU emissions standards; if the company's car models on sale here achieve the emissions savings outlined in their marketing; if the Government has taken steps to investigate whether the emissions levels advertised by motor manufacturers are actually tested and actually meet their standards in real time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4001/17]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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Following revelations of the existence of so-called 'cheat devices' being used in Volkswagen Group vehicles in late 2015, officials from the then Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, along with officials from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, and the National Standards Authority of Ireland, who have responsibility for vehicle type approval in Ireland, met with representatives of the company in order to ascertain the extent of the problem in Ireland and learn of the company's proposals for remediation.

In Ireland, a reported 117,000 Volkswagen vehicles were affected and it is understood that Volkswagen has written to all owners indicating that they are seeking a technical solution and will revert to owners as soon as possible regarding that technical solution. As yet, no figures have been made available to my officials as to the number of vehicles in Ireland to which a technical solution had been retrofitted.

Given the nature of both auto manufacture and the EU’s single market, a coordinated European response across all Member States is necessary.  The regulatory shortcomings highlighted by this issue are being addressed at EU level through the adoption of a revised emissions test cycle, that incorporates elements of real world driving. Ireland fully supported these proposals and their early implementation.  In addition, the EU is considering a legislative proposal to revise current arrangements to require greater regulatory oversight at Member State level, including the establishment in each Member State of a Market Surveillance Authority (MSA) to conduct, inter alia, ‘in use’ emissions testing.

The EU position in this area is managed by the Technical Committee - Motor Vehicles (TCMV).  The Road Safety Authority, which is under the aegis of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, is the agency attending that committee on behalf of Ireland.