Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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105. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the additional policy measures under consideration to change the expected transport sector greenhouse gas emissions from the increases predicted by the EPA to decreases in line with Ireland's 2030 climate targets and in line with the 2050 national transition objective. [45643/18]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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The National Mitigation Plan agreed by Government in 2017 begins to set Ireland on a pathway towards decarbonisation and includes over 100 actions for Government Departments and public bodies.

As the Minister for Transport, I am acutely aware of the specific challenge facing Ireland in tackling climate change and achieving our renewable energy targets in our transport sector where travel demand is growing and fossil fuel use is firmly established. To address this challenge, emission reductions and energy efficiencies are being strongly pursued through four main channels.

Firstly, we are increasing investment in the public and sustainable transport to support modal shift and accommodate growing travel demand. An efficient public transport sector is a key priority in meeting our climate change goals. The NDP has committed €8.6 billion to public transport over the next 10 years to 2027. Improving public transport services and infrastructure is central to providing an alternative to the private car: not only to reduce congestion and emissions but also to enable the transport sector to cater, in an environmentally sustainable way, for the increasing demands associated with growing population and employment. Major projects planned include: BusConnects, which will transform the bus network in our cities with new and expanded bus routes, greatly improved bus access, designated segregated cycle lanes and park and ride facilities; investment in the DART Expansion Programme; and the MetroLink. We also have multi-annual urban Cycling and Walking Infrastructure investment underway for our main cities.

Secondly, we are encouraging a transition away from fossil fuels. In the 'National Policy Framework on Alternative Fuels Infrastructure for Transport in Ireland' I firmly outlined my ambition that by 2030 all new cars and vans sold in Ireland would be zero-emission capable. To support this ambition and a Programme for Partnership Government commitment, an interdepartmental Low-Emitting Vehicles (LEV) Taskforce was jointly convened by my Department and the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment. Phase 1 of the Taskforce considered a range of measures and options to accelerate the deployment of EVs. Arising from their recommendations further generous incentives for EVs were announced as part of Budgets 2018 and 2019 aimed at assisting all drivers in purchasing hybrid or electric cars, including significant toll reductions. Phase 1 of the LEV Taskforce is now complete and the LEV Taskforce Progress Report is available on my Department's website. Phase 2 has begun its work and will consider the options available to Government to support the deployment of other alternative fuels, namely natural gas, biomethane, hydrogen, and synthetic/paraffinic fuels, with a particular emphasis on the heavy duty vehicle sector.

Thirdly, the Biofuels Obligation Scheme plays a major role in decarbonising the road transport sector in Ireland. The penetration of biofuels as a share of road transport energy has increased significantly over recent years from a share of 4 % in 2010 to 8% (by volume) from 2017. It is intended that the biofuel obligation scheme will be incrementally increased on a sustainable basis to help meet the renewable transport target of 10% by 2020 as set under the Renewable Energy Directive. The obligation rate will increase to 10% by volume from 1 January 2019; and again to 11% by volume from 1 January 2020.

Finally, an important role will be played by more efficient standards for vehicles. Ireland continues to push strongly for better EU vehicles standards, seeking greater ambition in regulations that ensure vehicles registered in Europe are increasingly more efficient and less emitting. It is through better technology and improved efficiency that carbon emissions generated by vehicles can be decoupled from increased economic activity and population growth.