Cabinet ministers will be saying goodbye to their Mercedes cars if the Green Party gets into Government, the Dáil heard yesterday.
The party's foreign affairs spokesman John Gormley expressed his outrage at the amount of CO2 emissions by the prestigious German vehicle, instead favour- ing the Toyota Prius family car, which he described as the most fuel-efficient vehicle available.
He questioned why the Prius had been rejected by Government as "insufficient for the needs of a minister". What does that mean, he asked. "Are ministers on a higher plane that the rest of us that allows them to ignore EU directives?"
He told the House: "If the Green Party is ever lucky enough to be in Government, it's bye-bye to the Mercedes and I don't care if Angela Merkel is annoyed by it," he said of Germany's chancellor.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern dismissed his comments as a gesture.
"My party is not a party of gestures but of delivery," Mr Ahern said, "and I think it is fair to say even some of our most ardent critics would accept the Government has made great strides on eco-friendly policies."
The exchanges emerged during a series of statements on the most recent European Council meeting. Mr Gormley said Ireland's record on climate change was the worst in Europe.
The Government was offering no leadership on climate change, he claimed.
"The people determining our climate change strategy are those in the Galway tent providing funds for the Fianna Fáil party."
He also criticised Dr Merkel and said that while she was calling for "more Europe", she rejected it out of hand when it was "put to her that we need 'more Europe' in tackling CO2 emissions from cars".
It appeared to him that Dr Merkel had some very good friends in the Irish Government, which was "only too delighted to have its ministers driving around in Mercedes cars".
The EU target for vehicle emissions was supposed to be between 120g and 130g of CO2 emissions per kilometre, he said. "The Mercedes E-class has been the transport of choice for most ministers with seven still using them.
"Those cars produce 240g of CO2 per km whereas the new car chosen by the Taoiseach produces 250g of CO2 per km."
Mr Ahern pointed out that a number of ministers had "moved towards the hybrid car to show an example to others".
When Mr Gormley asked: "Is that a gesture?" Mr Ahern replied: "It is a gesture. I have moved from a large car to a small car in my personal life to show an example."
Defending the Government's record on the environment, Mr Ahern said it had introduced a new 50 per cent tax break on vehicle registration for electric cars, along with last year's Budget initiative on hybrid cars.
He said €20 million would be spent on the green homes initiative. He was among thousands who had applied for that grant.
"I do not believe in gestures but rather live my life this way because we all have a personal responsibility."
