Dick Roche: Volkswagen not only emissions ‘delinquent’

A former government minister claims Volkswagen is not alone in being “economical with the truth” in relation to fuel emissions.

Dick Roche, a former minister for the environment, has insisted the German car manufacturer has not been “the lone delinquent in the broader emissions debate” after it emerged that Volkswagen was “fiddling the figures”.

Mr Roche, who served in the cabinet under former taoiseach Bertie Ahern, said other organisations have also been guilty of distorting facts to influence policy “in the complex space where environmental, energy, and taxation intersect”. He claimed one environmental lobby group which has been one of the most vocal critics of Volkswagen had also made questionable negative claims about biofuels.