Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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643. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to introduce electric, hybrid and biogas buses into each of the State bus companies; his plans to introduce electric, hybrid and biogas buses into the private bus fleets; his plans to introduce electric, hybrid and biogas taxis into the State; if he will he use quota systems to achieve these objectives; the expected start date for the process; and when these quota objectives will be achieved. [22165/17]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport.  The National Transport Authority (NTA), has statutory responsibility for the procurement of the bus fleet for PSO services. The procurement of buses for Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann's commercial services as well as private bus fleets is a matter for the individual companies themselves.

Ireland has expressed its intention, through a national policy position, to transition to a low carbon economy by 2050. To this end, my Department is working closely with the Department of Communication, Climate Action and the Environment (DCCAE) in the development of Ireland's first Mitigation Plan, which will be finalised by mid-2017. This Plan will help to chart a clear and quantified path towards Ireland's long-term climate objectives. The measures under consideration for the transport sector will be wide-ranging and will include the promotion of wholesale movement to alternative fuels and technologies for all vehicle types. Key transport objectives within the Plan include increasing public transport investment and promoting the uptake of alternatively fuelled vehicles.

My Department recently established a Green Public Transport Fund to support the uptake of low carbon technologies within the public transport sector. The fund will support pilot demonstrations of emerging low emission technologies, particularly for buses, and will also support measures to encourage the transition of the national taxi fleet towards alternative technologies. Such pilot schemes are expected to provide useful findings in an Irish context and will help inform future policy and investment priorities.  

Furthermore, a low emissions vehicle (LEV) Taskforce was established in December 2016 and will assess, inter alia, the range of measures and options available to Government to help accelerate the deployment of LEVs.

Noting the NTA's responsibility in the matter raised, I have referred your letter to the NTA for a more detailed reply.  Please advise my private office if you don't receive a reply within 10 working days.