Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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77. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the steps his Department is taking to encourage the uptake of hydrotreated vegetable oil for commercial bus operators; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55603/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport; however, I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of public transport.

For the transport sector, Ireland is required to pursue a decarbonisation pathway to achieve a 50% reduction in transport emissions by 2030 (against 2018 levels) in a manner that is consistent with sectoral emission ceilings that were agreed by Government in August 2022.

Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) is a drop in bioliquid replacing fossil diesel and has greenhouse gas reduction benefits. HVO may be used either in pure or blended form with existing engines without the need for any modification. It can therefore support the decarbonisation of hard-to-abate sectors such as the HDV sector.

The Renewable Transport Fuel Policy 2025-2027 sets out a pathway to incentivise supply of renewable fuel in transport, including HVO, to meet Climate Action Plan and EU Renewable Energy Directive targets. This is achieved through the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO), an obligation on fuel suppliers (rather than on transport operators) to ensure a minimum proportion of renewable fuel (biofuel) in all road transport petroleum products supplied in Ireland. The Climate Action Plan target is for a 20% blend of biofuel in diesel supply by 2030

Renewable transport fuels such as HVO will remain an important transition measure in transport decarbonisation in the coming years as the shift to electrification and further increases in public transport and active travel are fully realised. Sustainable renewable transport fuels provide immediate climate-change mitigation utilising the existing vehicle fleet.

The decision for any commercial operators to uptake the use of such fuels would be a commercial decision for the company themselves and, as Minister for Transport I have no role in the decision making process of private transport operators.