Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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225. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he is has considered maintaining a supply of E5 fuel after 1 July 2023 for owners of older petrol vehicles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22402/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The move to E10 as the standard grade of petrol in Ireland was signalled in November 2021 when I published the Renewable Fuel for Transport Policy Statement 2021-2023. Following a 28-day statutory consultation period on the draft regulations and consideration of responses and stakeholder feedback the regulations were made on 1 April 2023 establishing a minimum 5.5% ethanol in petrol placed upon the market by renewable transport fuel obligation account holders.

Through the consultation on the regulations many submissions were received from respondents identifying as classic or vintage car owners or enthusiasts, i.e. 70 submissions or 90% of submissions received on the regulations; rather than submissions from owners of older vehicles used for day-to-day transportation.

In the first instance there should be no concern about the move to E10. The experience from those jurisdictions where E10 and higher ethanol blends have been used widely for a prolonged period of time has not indicated issues of damage to vehicles as a result. On the contrary, recent analysis published on the website of the US Department of Energy indicates no reliability or operability issues concerning E10, which has been in use in the US since the late 70s.

Concerning continued supply of E5 in Ireland, consultation with industry prior to making the regulations indicated that, unlike the UK and Northern Ireland, the vast majority of suppliers do not have the storage or distribution systems to supply both an E5 and an E10 petrol grade at forecourts in Ireland. It would not be reasonable to mandate investment to provide additional refuelling infrastructure for continued supply of E5 when there would be a very small and declining demand for the fuel, and investment plans are focussed on electrification and charging infrastructure.

However, the regulations will not prevent any independent or specialist fuel supplier from placing an E5 blend of petrol on the market, if sufficient demand exists. After 1 July when the regulations are to be operational E5 supply will not, however, be eligible for renewable transport fuel obligation (RTFO) certificates.

Moving to E10 will bring an immediate climate-change mitigation measure using the existing vehicle fleet as Ethanol (E5) in petrol currently accounts for almost 10% of annual tailpipe carbon emission savings (8.5% in 2022). The policy and regulation supporting the move to E10 takes into account the over-riding consideration of the public good in decarbonising transport through increasing biofuels.

The regulations will be kept under review within the context of the development and implementation of the Renewable Transport Fuel Policy 2023-2025 the draft of which remains open to consultation until 26 May.