Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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242. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the steps that he is taking to increase the percentage of electric or hybrid vehicles owned by his Department and state agencies and bodies under the Department’s remit. [45585/22]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department does not own or lease any vehicles. With the exception of the Office of Public Works (OPW), this is also the case for the bodies under the aegis of my Department.

The OPW have informed me that they continue to review the market to assess the options for replacing diesel-powered fleet items with feasible electric or hybrid alternatives. This year, significant progress was made by the OPW in the procurement of electric vehicles and 23 electric vehicles are expected to be added to the fleet by the end of the year. These vehicles include 4 electric buses and 19 electric vans. In 2023, further progress in the replacement of diesel-powered vehicles is planned by the OPW with the procurement of an additional 19 electrical vehicles.

I am also pleased to inform the Deputy that Action 149 of the Government’s Climate Action Plan 2019 has now been completed by the Office of Government Procurement in my Department. As such, procurement contracts are now available to allow public bodies to purchase electric vehicles by direct drawdown.