Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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764. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has considered installing hydrogen refuelling stations for vehicles. [11973/17]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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Over the coming years, a transition to alternatively-fuelled vehicles will be required to effect a substantial reduction in Ireland's overall transport emissions. My Department recently developed a draft national policy framework for alternative fuels infrastructure - in line with the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Directive (2014/94/EU) - and carried out a public consultation from 27 October to 23 November 2016 on this draft framework to support the deployment of alternative fuels in Ireland. Following consideration of submissions received from the consultation process, I expect to finalise and publish the National Policy Framework in the coming weeks. As the draft Framework indicates, there is no hydrogen refuelling infrastructure in operation in Ireland with few commercial organisations capable of constructing or bearing the cost of a stand-alone hydrogen project. Coupled with the lack of right-hand drive hydrogen vehicles currently available for use on the Irish market, the rate of infrastructure development is expected to remain low. There are no immediate plans to establish a hydrogen refuelling network. Hydrogen is not expected to deliver mass-market uptake before 2030 as the costs of the refuelling infrastructure and associated vehicles are likely to remain prohibitive until the middle of the next decade. Consequently, the cost of the infrastructure is greatly disproportionate to current demand.

However, the feasibility of establishing a hydrogen refuelling network will be regularly assessed to take account of changes in technological development and market uptake.

The Deputy will also be aware that work is very advanced on the development of the National Climate Change Mitigation Plan which is being prepared by the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (DCCAE), working in close co-operation with other Departments including my own and the Department of Agriculture. Transport has an important role to play in helping to achieve our national emission and decarbonisation targets. The mitigation measures under consideration for transport will be wide-ranging and the movement to alternative fuels will form part of this plan. The draft Mitigation Plan will be available for extensive public consultation shortly before it is finalised and put to Government for approval.