Government urged to scrap duty on biofuels and drive biodiesel cars

THE Green Party has urged the Government to scrap excise duty on biofuels and has called for the State’s fleet of ministerial cars to be converted to run on biodiesel.

The party’s energy spokesman Eamon Ryan said the Government’s recent announcement of €3 million per annum excise relief was merely a pilot project and should be extended on a mainstream basis across the fledgling biofuel industry.

“This Government has failed to realise the potential we have from new green energy and has left us exposed to an over-dependence on fossil fuels and an unfolding world energy crisis which is putting the Irish economy at risk.

“If the Finance Minister introduces measures to promote biofuels in the next budget, he will effectively reduce carbon emissions, create new jobs and turn waste product to good use.”

The Greens said other countries like Finland and Italy already have 100% excise relief for biofuels.

Mr Ryan said ministerial cars running on biofuel would highlight the need, with ministers to set up biofuel pumps at filling stations around the country.

Green Party deputy leader Cllr Mary White converted her Volkswagen Golf Estatecar to biofuel yesterday and used it in a photocall outside Government Buildings.

The Bosch-manufactured turbo engine now runs on a mix of diesel and pure plant oil, which is derived from rape seed grown near her home in Goresbridge Co Carlow.

“A small amount of biofuel in your tank can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 50%,” she said.

Party chairman John Gormley, who used a biodiesel car when Lord Mayor of Dublin in 1994, said: “With oil and gas prices set to rise even further, and with the need to meet our commitments under the Kyoto protocol, development of clean sources of energy are urgently needed.”

The Government announced on Wednesday a two-year programme of excise relief, worth €3m per annum, to support the use of biofuels.

Natural Resources Minister Noel Dempsey said the exemption would cover 12 million litres of vegetable oil, two million litres of bio-diesel and two million litres of bio-ethanol.

The Greens also called on the Government to meet its commitments under the 2003 EU Biofuels Directive which states that biofuels must reach 5.75% of transport fuels sold by 2010.