Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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119. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the efforts he is making to support the financial viability of the Irish haulage sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20631/23]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The Government recognises the important role that the haulage sector plays in maintaining Ireland’s essential supply chains and acknowledges the recent cost pressures on haulage businesses. As announced in February the Government approved a new Scheme design, and funding of €18 million for the Licensed Haulage Support Scheme 2023 to assist licensed haulage businesses with cost pressures.

My Department is now administering the Scheme which covers eligible heavy goods vehicles authorised on the licence of a current road haulage operator as of 15 December 2022. The Scheme is open to applications until 31 May 2023 and is designed in such a way to provide a larger relative level of support to smaller operators. Payments per vehicle are calculated based on €1,200 for the first 5 vehicles on a licence; €700 for vehicles 6 to 20; and €200 for each vehicle thereafter.

An invitation to apply for the Scheme was issued to all licensed haulage businesses using the email address associated with the operator license, including detailed instructions on how to apply for the Scheme.

Since March 2022, the Government put in place several other measures to help ease cost pressures on haulage businesses including the reduction of excise duty on diesel and the Licensed Haulage Emergency Support Scheme which ran during Spring 2022 and provided over €15.6 million to c. 3,080 operators (approx. 80% of licensed operators).

Since December 2022, we have seen a month-on-month declining trend in diesel price. The excise reduction introduced in February 2022 will now be phased out in three stages, with a VAT inclusive increase of 5 cent on both 01 June and 01 September and a 6 cent increase on 31 October.

The Revenue administered Diesel Rebate Scheme remains available to licensed haulage operators in respect of vehicles over 7.5 tonnes. Figures from Revenue show that less than half of licensed hauliers made use of the Diesel Rebate Scheme in 2022 – I would encourage all operators to make best use of available Government supports.