Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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447. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to change the public transport system away from fossil fuels; the funding allocated for the provision of converting public transport from fossil fuels for 2017 to 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53060/17]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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In Ireland, public transport accounts for less than 5% of total emissions from the land transport sector.  As part of Ireland's effort to contain emissions and mitigate climate change, I am strongly committed both to increasing the capacity of our public transport system and to facilitating the uptake of low-emission vehicles and technologies within the public transport sector.  Clean and energy efficient vehicles have an important role to play in achieving Ireland's policy objectives of reducing energy consumption and lessening our levels of greenhouse gas emissions.

As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport.  Decisions on the acquisition of fleet rest with the relevant bodies: the National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for the procurement of the bus fleet for PSO services; building additional capacity and the procurement of rolling stock for light rail and metro is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII); and the procurement of buses for Dublin Bus' and Bus Éireann’s commercial services, rolling stock for the rail system as well as purchases for private bus fleets are all matters for the various individual companies.

Decarbonising transport requires a transformation across all the transport sectors.  The recently launched Bus Connects proposal includes a commitment to transition the PSO bus fleet in Dublin towards new low-emission vehicle technologies. It is expected that by 2023 approximately 500 buses will be converted to low-emission vehicles, with plans for full conversion by 2030.

Commuter rail and light rail have been steadily building on the already widespread use of electricity as fuel.  Funding of almost €460 million to 2021 will be invested in light rail projects including the Green Line Capacity Enhancement Project which, in addition to the recently completed Luas Cross City project, will add capacity to the light rail network in Dublin through additional and longer trams.  Funding is also being allocated to progress new Metro North and the funding required to complete this major project will be provided by the 10 year capital plan due to be published by the end of this year.

€225 million will be invested in heavy rail projects over the next 4 years including the City Centre Resignalling Project in Dublin which will improve speeds through the city centre and the new Central Traffic Control Centre which will help progress the DART Expansion Programme and also generally improve rail movements nationally.  Additional funding will also increase the rail fleet and allow further progress to be made on the electrification of both the Northern rail line to Balbriggan and the Maynooth line.

€5.5m is allocated in 2018 and €29m from 2019-2021 for the Carbon Reduction Programme which funds measures to support decarbonising the transport sector. A "Green Public Transport Fund" will support the uptake of low carbon technologies within the public transport sector. This Fund will assist the transition of the national bus fleet to low emission technology by, inter alia, supporting pilots, covering the price differential between the cost of a conventional diesel bus and the cost of an alternatively fuelled vehicle, as well as refuelling infrastructure. Furthermore, the National Policy Framework for Alternative Fuels Infrastructure for Transport in Ireland was published in May to support the deployment of alternative fuels for transport in Ireland and assist in removing any barriers that exist towards greater uptake of low emissions vehicles.