Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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161. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he has reviewed the evidence linking diesel exhaust fumes to certain cancers; his plans to ban this type of fuel in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43080/17]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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Vehicle emissions are a key source of negative health impacts from a range of air pollutants, including nitrogen oxides (NOx) , particulate matter (PM), black carbon and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particularly in urban areas. Though petrol and diesel road vehicles have met progressively tighter EU emission limits since the early 1990s, a number of factors, including the increase in road traffic volumes and changes to the ratio of diesel to petrol vehicles, mean that the air pollution impact from road transport still presents a significant challenge.

The diesel emissions scandal in 2015 highlighted a number of regulatory shortcomings in EU legislation, most notably that the current emissions test cycle in the EU is not representative of actual “on road” real driving conditions.  To address these issues the EU has adopted a revised emissions test cycle that incorporates elements of real world driving. The National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) is the Type Approval Authority in Ireland and issues approval for a number of vehicle types (including for vehicle emissions) which is valid across the EU.

There are no plans to ban diesel, but my Department has commenced work on the first ever National Clean Air Strategy which will provide an overarching strategic policy framework within which clean air policies can be formulated and given effect in a manner consistent with national, EU and international policy considerations and priorities. The Clean Air Strategy will address priority air pollutants in Ireland, including diesel emissions, in an integrated manner.