Noel Rock (Dublin North West, Fine Gael)
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1167. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his Department has studied the proposed plans in Norway and the Netherlands to ban conventional vehicle sales in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13975/17]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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​Ireland faces a significant challenge to meet its international greenhouse gas reduction commitments. Currently, Ireland's transport demand and emissions are increasing, with approximately three quarters of all journeys made by private cars accounting for over 55% of our transport emissions.

Over the coming years, we will need to continue to increase public transport capacity so as to help absorb the increased travel demand.  In addition to this, a transition to alternatively-fuelled vehicles generally will be required to effect a substantial reduction in Ireland's overall transport emissions.

In that context, the Government is committed to exploring mechanisms to encourage earlier take up of electric vehicles.  My Department, together with the Department for Communications, Climate Action and the Environment, have jointly convened an Interdepartmental Low Emissions Vehicle (LEV) Task Force to consider the range of measures and options available to Government for the purpose of accelerating the deployment of low carbon technologies, especially EVs, in line with the "Programme for a Partnership Government" commitment. 

Furthermore, and reflecting the role of refuelling infrastructure in securing the transition to a low carbon economy, my Department recently developed a draft National Policy Framework for Alternative Fuels Infrastructure for Transport in Ireland - 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.

My Department and I are aware of the movement in other jurisdictions to ban the sales of conventionally fuelled vehicles from 2030 or, in some cases, 2025. We are also ambitious that all new cars sold into Ireland post 2030 will be zero emissions or zero emissions capable.