Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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330. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of vehicles owned or leased and operated by his Department and agencies and semi-State companies under his remit broken down by the number of ICE and non-ICE vehicles and fuel category, that is, petrol, diesel, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, electric and so on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15129/21]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table:

Providing a sustainable, low-carbon transport system is a key priority of my Department. The Programme for Government commits to 7% average annual emissions reduction to 2030; ultimately, the goal is for a zero-emission mobility system by 2050. The transport sector, which accounts for about 20% of Ireland’s overall carbon emissions, must play a central role in the national decarbonisation effort. The national car and van (LGV) fleet accounts for almost 60% of all land transport emissions, and so a transition to low emissions vehicles, including EVs, is a necessary step-change to effect a substantial reduction in transport emissions.

Electric vehicles (EVs) are the most prominent transport mitigation measure in the 2019 Climate Action Plan, and Ireland has set an ambitious target of 936,000 EVs on our roads by 2030. This target is challenging but indicates the scale of the transformation that is needed across all sectors if Ireland is to achieve its climate targets in the coming years. The Government, supported by the work of the Low Emission Vehicle Taskforce, has worked to ensure that conditions and policies are in place to support citizens in making greener vehicle choices. A comprehensive suite of measures is available to EV drivers, including purchase grants for private car owners and taxi drivers, VRT relief, reduced tolls, home charger grants, favourable motor and BIK tax rates, as well as a comprehensive charging network. These measures have collectively contributed to increased take up of EVs in Ireland in recent years, albeit from a low base. 

My Department has convened an Electric Vehicle Policy Pathway Working Group to produce a roadmap to achieving the near one million EV target by 2030 and to continue the concerted efforts across several Departments to hasten the current trajectory of EV sales. The Working Group has considered regulatory, financial and taxation policies to help drive a significant ramp-up in passenger EVs and electric van sales from very early in the decade.

In addition, in order to expedite the deployment of low emitting vehicles, an inter-Departmental Low Emission Vehicle (LEV) Taskforce was jointly established by my two Departments to consider a full suite of potential measures available to Government. Phase 1 of the Taskforce concentrated on EVs; as part of this work, the important leadership role that Public Bodies and Government Departments can play in encouraging LEV uptake was examined. The Taskforce recommended the introduction of a new public procurement framework for EVs by 2020 and this recommendation was echoed in Action 149 of the Climate Action Plan: Enable the deployment of electric vehicles in public sector fleets.

The Office of Government Procurement has drawn up fixed price procurement frameworks for the supply of long and medium range battery electric passenger cars and vans to public sector bodies.

Full details on how to use the framework as well as pricing and supplier contact details can be foundon the www.ogp.gov.iewebsite. At present, the Office of Government Procurement do not have a framework for electric vehicle chargers.

As battery and recharging technologies develop and a greater range of vehicles become commercially available I expect an increasing number of public bodies to transition to EVs, with low emitting vehicles being favoured where feasible.