merrion street

The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross T.D. said today: “This Mitigation Plan represents a key step in the fight against climate change. Our return to economic growth brings with it increased travel demand; for public transport in urban areas; increasing numbers of vehicles on our roads; and a rise in the number of kilometres driven. Climate change therefore represents a challenge for the transport sector. We face the task of reducing emissions, without impeding social progress or economic recovery, while continuing to cater for our growing national travel demand.

The Minister continued: “This Plan identifies areas where more progress and support is needed to contribute to our national emission savings. My Department will focus on reducing the overall need to travel and distances taken, investment in public and sustainable transport and decarbonising the fleet through the promotion of alternative fuels and technologies.

“The new National Planning Framework will set out ways to integrate land and transport planning and plan for growth in such a way that supports a transition to a low carbon economy. The Mitigation Plan supports funding commitments to rail and bus improvements, particularly in urban areas, including the completion of the City Centre Re-signalling Programme, further electrification of the rail network, completing the Luas Cross-City project and investing in the bus fleet, bus priority measures as well as more and improved cycling infrastructure with safety a priority.

“The most important transformation in transport sector will be the elimination of conventionally fuelled vehicles on the roads. We have set an ambitious target in the National Policy Framework on Alternative Fuels Infrastructure for Transport that by 2030 all new cars and vans sold in Ireland will be zero-emissions capable.”

Concluding, Minister Ross said: “Transport will continue its close co-operation with other key Departments, principally the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, the Department of Finance and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to ensure that the National Mitigation Plan is a success and produces significant national emission savings.”