Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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173. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the contribution electrified rail is expected to make to Ireland's 2020 RES-T target; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2367/18]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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174. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the contribution electrified buses are expected to make to Ireland's 2020 RES-T target; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2368/18]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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175. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the contribution electrified taxis are expected to make to Ireland's 2020 RES-T target; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2369/18]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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176. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the contribution electrified private motor vehicles are expected to make to Ireland's 2020 RES-T target; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2370/18]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 173 to 176, inclusive, together.

Ireland aims to meet our 2020 target for the renewable energy share in transport (RES-T) of 10% predominantly through the increased use of sustainable biofuels, with electric vehicles and electrified rail also making a contribution.

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland estimates that electrified rail will contribute 0.08 percentage points, with electric vehicles contributing 0.13 percentage points towards the 10% RES-T target for 2020.

It is expected that private cars will account for the majority of the contribution, with vehicles such as buses, vans and taxis also contributing. In the coming weeks, my colleague, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport will be launching a new grant scheme to incentivise the uptake of electric vehicles in the Small Public Service Vehicles industry. I expect this incentive will result in more electric taxis and other small public service vehicles on our roads over the coming years.

The National Transport Authority (NTA) has engaged in a preliminary market consultation exercise on the various Low Emission Vehicle (LEV) bus technology types available. The NTA will analyse the suitability of the different bus technology types, such as natural gas and electric buses, in an Irish context. Under the new BusConnects Programme, there is a commitment to the uptake of new low emission vehicle technology in the bus fleet. It is anticipated that by 2023, half of the Public Service Obligation (PSO) bus fleet (approximately 500 buses) will be low-emission vehicles. The development of this measure will be progressed by the NTA in conjunction with the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport.