Low earners should be given €10k grant to buy electric vehicles in effort to cut emissions — report
Lower earners should be given grants of up to €10,000 to switch to electric vehicles to help Ireland cut its transport emissions, the Climate Change Advisory Council has said.
In its annual report on the transport sector, the council said even in the most optimistic scenario, our emissions are expected to significantly exceed targets by 2030, and the Government must act now to turn the tide.
'Transport is Ireland's biggest source of energy demand, and emissions from the sector must reduce by half if the sector is meet its target,' the council's chair Marie Donnelly said.
To achieve this, urgent and decisive action must now be taken by Government to end our reliance on fossil fuels and deliver the kind of transformative change that is required in this sector.
Ending the reliance on 'harmful and expensive' fossil fuels is key to this, with an increase in new battery electric vehicle registrations needed.
It recommended grants of up to €10,000 on electric vehicles costing less than €35,000 for lower-income households, particularly in areas with limited access to public transport.
Furthermore, the council said there needed to be an accelerated roll-out of publicly accessible electric vehicle charging infrastructure alongside an 'ambitious' roll-out of electricity network reinforcement.
Separately, it also recommended an expansion of the school transport scheme and wider improvements in public transport services.
About one in five journeys are for the purpose of education, with journeys by car resulting in significant air quality issues near schools, increased transport emissions and congestion.
'The Government must shift more of these journeys onto buses, trains, walking and cycling. This will require further funding, a renewed focus on road safety and easier access to sustainable travel options,' it said.
Highlighting recent storms such as Darragh and Éowyn, which demonstrated how vulnerable Ireland's transport infrastructure can be, further measures should be taken to reflect the risks we face from extreme weather and climate change.
The council said progress in identifying climate risks and vulnerabilities, as well as investment in mitigation measures, had been slower in rail, aviation and maritime sectors.
Ms Donnelly added the Government must scale up investment to improve the climate resilience of vulnerable and critical transport infrastructure.
Read More
Electric vehicles and renewables could wipe out USC-sized chunk of Irish tax income
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Kneecap's Mo Chara due in London court today on terrorism charges
Kneecap will dash from London on Wednesday to their gig in Dublin as member Mo Chara faces terrorism charges. The rapper, whose real name is Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court over the alleged displaying of a flag in support of Hezbollah. It is alleged that Mo Chara waved the flag at the Belfast group's gig in London last November. The rap trio - which also consists of Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí - have denied any wrongdoing and said Ó hAnnaidh intends on defending the charge. After the court appearance, the group will have to dash back to Ireland as they take to the stage at Dublin's Fairview Park on Thursday. It will be one of the group's biggest solo gigs yet, as the outdoor venue has capacity for 8,000 people. The event has long been sold-out as Dublin singer Gemma Dunleavy and post-punk band Gurriers will support the Irish-language rappers. Speaking about the terrorism charges, Ó hAnnaidh said it is "political policing" and its intention is to stifle criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza. At a London gig last month, the rapper said on-stage: "There's a reason why what's happened to me, happened before Glastonbury. There's a reason they're trying to f**king stop me speaking at Glastonbury in front of the UK." Despite calls for the group to be censored at the festival, organisers have confirmed that Kneecap will be playing Glastonbury on June 28. The Smiths musician Johnny Marr took to Instagram on Monday showing his support for the Belfast group. He wrote: "After learning that calls have been made for Kneecap to be censored during their Glastonbury set, I think it's important to make my own position clear. "I've played Glastonbury many times and the festival has always had a political aspect. It was founded as a place of free expression and political activism. I stand with my audience and fellow musicians who call for an immediate end to the atrocities and a free Palestine."
Irish Independent
3 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Government advisers call for tripling of EV grants in bid to slash transport emissions
A new top-rate grant of €10,000 would apply to smaller models costing less than €35,000, with priority given to lower-income households in areas lacking public transport. The cost would be at least partly funded by increased taxes on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars. The calls come from the Climate Change Advisory Council (CCAC), which says the Government is stalling on steps to achieve the dramatic cut needed in greenhouse gas emissions from transport. In a report published today, the council says sales of new EVs fell 24pc last year and there were just 72,640 electric cars on the roads – a figure that must increase almost 12-fold to meet the 2030 target of 845,000. Public EV charging points are only one-third the EU average rate – seven per 10,000 people compared to 20 per 10,000 across the EU. School buses carry just 18pc of pupils, with hundreds of thousands left to be ferried by car every day. Re-alloaction of road space to cycle lanes and safer footpaths has been 'incremental' instead of transformational. Ireland is one of the few EU countries without Low-Emission Zones that designate certain urban areas for EVs, bikes and pedestrians only. Transport emissions fell by 1.3pc last year – the first reduction since the temporary fall during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, emissions need to reduce by 50pc over the next five years and the CCAC says there is no sign of this happening. Transport uses more energy than any other sector in Ireland and it produces the second most greenhouse gas emissions after agriculture, accounting for 21.5pc of the national total. ADVERTISEMENT Public transport passenger numbers are rising and EV numbers are increasing but the growing population and increasing size of cars cancels out the gains. 'Urgent and decisive action must now be taken by Government to end our reliance on fossil fuels and deliver the kind of transformative change that is required in this sector,' said CCAC chair Marie Donnelly. Recommended actions include a revamp of EV supports, retaining the existing €3,500 grant for new cars up to the value of €60,000 but offering the much greater incentive for smaller, more efficient cars to applicants in lower income brackets and certain geographic areas. Scrappage schemes for petrol and diesel cars and supports to buy second-hand EVs are also recommended, including possibly interest-free loans. The CCAC is also urging much greater investment in all forms of public transport and a substantial widening of eligibility for the school transport scheme. Concerns are also raised about the vulnerability of key transport infrastructure – in particular ports – to extreme weather events such as Storm Éowyn last January.
Sunday World
3 hours ago
- Sunday World
Billboard appears in support of Kneecap ahead of court appearance
Johnny Marr also weighed in on the group's Glastonbury set hitting out at idea of censorship Kneecap member Liam Og O hAnnaidh outside the 100 Club in Oxford Street, central London, last month. Pic: PA/PA Wire A billboard has appeared in London supporting the west Belfast band Kneecap, as one of its members prepares to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on Wednesday on an alleged terror offence. The billboard was snapped in the Lambeth area of the city and shared by a number of users online, including Sinn Féin MP Chris Hazzard. The band's own account also shared the image of the billboard, which includes the phrase: 'More Blacks, More Dogs, More Irish, Mo Chara' set in the colours of the Irish Tricolour. The phrase included in the billboard appears to be a parody of the historical racist slogan seen across parts of England in the 1960s which included the phrase 'no blacks, no dogs, no Irish'. Mr Hazard shared an image of the billboard on his Facebook account, captioning the photo: 'Spotted in London.' It comes as Kneecap member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh prepares to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on Wednesday on an alleged terror offence. The 27-year-old, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, has been charged over the alleged display of a flag in support of Hezbollah at a gig at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, north London, in November last year. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Meanwhile, a former guitarist from 1980s rock band The Smiths backed Kneecap amid calls for their set at the Glastonbury Festival to be censored. There had previously been calls for the controversial Irish language rap group's set at the famous festival to be cancelled amid a furore sparked by their pro-Palestine display at US festival Coachella in April. During the gig, the band – made up of Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh (Mo Chara), JJ Ó Dochartaigh (DJ Próvaí) and Naoise Ó Cairealláin (Moghlaí Bap) – led the crowd in chants of 'free, free Palestine'. A message reading: 'F**k Israel. Free Palestine' was also unveiled. The billboard in Lambeth News in 90 Seconds - June 17 Soon after the gig, footage emerged allegedly showing a band member calling for the deaths of MPs and shouting 'up Hamas, up Hezbollah'. The group subsequently apologised to the families of murdered MPs but said footage of the incident had been 'exploited and weaponised'. Posting a message on his social media channels, former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr said calls for Kneecap's Glastonbury set to be cancelled were not in keeping with the festival's 'free expression'. "After learning that calls have been made for Kneecap to be censored during their Glastonbury set, I think it's important that I make my own position clear,' he said. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content "I've played Glastonbury many times and the festival has always had a political aspect. "It was founded as a place of free expression and political activism and it's a fact that I agreed to play there with The Smiths in 1984 purely because to do so at the time was a political act. "We are living through very troubling times, but for anyone who's been interested in me or my music over the last 40 years, I feel like my political stance has always been very clear. "Oppression fears artistic expression. I respect all musicians who use their platform to speak out against injustice, who promote compassion and equality and give voice to the voiceless. "I stand with my audience and fellow musicians who call for an immediate end to the atrocities and a free Palestine.' Last week, the band announced details of the high-profile legal team that will represent Mo Chara over the alleged terror offence, referring to them as 'An Scothfhoireann – The Dream Team'. Kneecap member Liam Og O hAnnaidh outside the 100 Club in Oxford Street, central London, last month. Pic: PA/PA Wire Darragh Mackin of Phoenix Law heads up the team alongside Gareth Peirce of Binberg Peirce, who has previously defended the Birmingham Six and the Guilford Four, as well as appearing for Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. The team also includes Brenda Campbell KC, who represented the families of the Hillsborough Stadium disaster, and freedom of expression expert Jude Bunting KC. Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh, who appeared before the International Court of Justice on behalf of South Africa against Israel in relation to the genocide in Gaza, is also in the ranks, with free speech, national security and crime expert Rosalyn Comyn completing the line-up. In an Instagram post the group added: 'The British establishment is conducting a campaign against Kneecap which is to be fought in Westminster Magistrates Court. "We are ready for this fight. We are proud to have such a strong legal team with us.'
