Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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The Government is committed to facilitating the increased uptake of low emitting vehicles (LEVs). It is Ireland's ambition that all new cars and vans sold in this country from 2030 will be zero emission (or zero emission-capable) and my Department's long-term vision for the decarbonisation of the transport sector will encompass the electrification of the passenger car fleet, including SPSVs.

The Deputy may be aware that my Department and the Department of Communications, Climate Action and the Environment, have jointly convened an interdepartmental 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 electric vehicles (EVs). The wide ranging work of the Taskforce has been divided between three working groups addressing: Market Growth Stimuli and Visibility; Infrastructure, Energy Regulation and Pricing; and Planning Legislation, Building Regulations and Public Leadership.

As part of its programme of work, Working Group 1 of the LEV Taskforce, which is chaired by my Department, is assessing amongst other measures options for public administration and leadership incentivisation for private car owners. This includes consideration of the opportunities to promote the possibility of transitioning to EVs within the SPSV sector.

It is expected that preliminary recommendations from the Taskforce will be presented to the Government in Q3 of 2017, in advance of this year's Budgetary and Estimates Process. Details of the progress of the Taskforce will be made available on my Department's website in due course.

Furthermore, under a measure outlined in the soon-to-be-published National Mitigation Plan,my Department has 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 and will also support measures to encourage the transition of the national taxi fleet towards alternative technologies.