Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I fully acknowledge the impact that aircraft noise can have on those living and working in the surrounds of airports. Under the 2018 Environmental Noise regulations (which implement the EU Environmental Noise Directive), local authorities are responsible for the noise mapping of the area under their jurisdiction, and the creation of a noise action plan to tackle harmful environmental noise.

South Dublin County Council holds primary responsibility for the environmental and planning regulations regarding noise monitoring at Weston Airport. However, Kildare County Council also oversees noise complaints affecting its residential communities who are impacted by operations at the airport. Any concerns related to aircraft noise should be addressed to the relevant local authority.

In relation to flight paths, Weston Airport operates under Visual Flight Rules (VFR), featuring published VFR arrival and departure routes and low-level visual reporting points. As such, concerns related to flight paths and operations at the Weston Airport should be addressed to the airport directly.

Pádraig Rice (Cork South-Central, Social Democrats)
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505. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on the use of HVO fuel for transport as an alternative to diesel; if his Department is carrying out any research into the merits of promoting its use at a national level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57135/26]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The Renewable Transport Fuel Policy 2025–2027 (RTF Policy), which is reviewed every two years by my Department, sets out a pathway for achievement of Climate Action Plan biofuel targets and European targets for renewable energy in transport as set out in the Renewable Energy Directive. This is achieved through the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO), an obligation on fuel suppliers to ensure a minimum proportion of renewable fuel in all road transport petroleum products supplied in Ireland. Renewable transport fuels, including HVO, that meet EU sustainability and greenhouse gas emissions reduction criteria are eligible for RTFO certificates and may be counted against the obligation.

The RTFO, set at 32% by energy for the 2026 obligation period, is expected to deliver a renewable fuel content in diesel of more than 12% this year. Further planned increases in the RTFO rate to 2030 are expected to result in a physical blend of 20% biofuel in diesel supplied in the State, comprising approximately 7% FAME and 13% HVO. This aligns with the B20 biofuel blending target set out in the Climate Action Plan.

Sustainable renewable transport fuels such as HVO provide immediate climate mitigation benefits utilising the existing vehicle fleet. They will therefore 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. Ireland’s policy on renewable fuels will continue to promote future supply of sustainable biofuels including advanced biofuels and renewable fuels of non-biological origin.

The evidence-base for the implementation of the RTF Policy involves ongoing analysis by the National Oil Reserves Agency (NORA) and other relevant research. A Working Group established under the RTF Policy steers appropriate modelling and research and provides updates on its work programme in the published Alternative Fuel for Transport Working Group Annual Report.

Additionally, in line with the objectives of Ireland’s Road Haulage Strategy 2022–2031, my Department published the Assessment of the Availability of HVO for the Irish Heavy Goods Freight Sector (2025). The assessment indicates that, given the current RTFO requirement on fuel suppliers, any incentives aimed at increasing the supply of HVO toward 100% in the HGV sector will simply shift biofuel supply away from other road transport use sectors with minimal additional decarbonisation benefit in the road transport sector overall. Additionally, the study forecasts that a subsidy to equalise the price of HVO with diesel, in a scenario of up to 100% HVO supply, could incur an Exchequer cost in 2030 alone of €502m.

A further study is currently being finalised concerning the hierarchy of use of HVO which addresses the most efficient use of HVO relative to available renewable energy and zero emission alternatives across all transport modes as well as HVO use in non-transport sectors. The output of this study will inform ongoing policy for increasing renewable energy in transport.