Help Us To Decarbonise And Thrive, Transport Sector Urges Irish Government

PRESS RELEASE
RFH/0xx/24
15th August 2024

Unless the government provides financial support/incentives for the transport and logistics sector, the government’s ambitions to decarbonise the industry and achieve net zero emissions by 2050 will be missed, according to one of Ireland’s biggest membership associations.

Writing in FTA Ireland’s pre-Budget submission for government consideration ahead of the Budget reveal on October 1st, Aidan Flynn, FTA Ireland’s Chief Executive has set out the issues facing the sector as it aims to achieve net zero while continuing to deliver for Ireland’s households and businesses:

“Our industry is crucial to all economic activity across the country, as well as the nation’s trading relationships, and employs more than 113,000 individuals: we are critical to ensuring the trade continues to flourish and we all have access to all the goods we need, every day. Yet over the past few years, operational costs have been climbing steadily, with business viability challenges now meaning that our members must either seek government support or risk creating an inflationary pressure through raising prices.

“Wage inflation and the cost of fuel continue to put pressure on the bottom line for our sector, with a shortage of skilled staff putting a further squeeze on revenue streams for our members. Operating as they do to such narrow margins, these increased costs will need to be met somewhere and while business owners do not want to pass them on to customers, there is only so much our industry can stand – we need government support to ease the financial pressures on our sector and keep our industry operating effectively.”

The biggest pressure on the bottom line of many transport and logistics businesses at present is the demand to decarbonise and innovate. And as Mr Flynn continues, while the industry is committed to playing its part as Ireland moves to a Net Zero future, this cannot happen without government support and guidance:

“We are fully behind the government’s Net Zero targets but to make all the changes necessary to achieve them require significant resources and funding. New vehicles, newly trained staff to operate and service them, a new refuelling network (assuming the preferred fuel of choice is selected), all will take funds which our industry simply does not have. If the government is committed to its decarbonisation agenda, it needs to support transport and logistics operators to play their part through subsidies and grants in this year’s Budget, to keep transport moving across the country.”

Full details of FTA Ireland’s Pre-Budget Submission can be found here: Submission 

“Decarbonisation is the biggest challenge facing our industry,” he explains, “but there is still much to be confirmed and much to be implemented by both industry and government if our sector’s net zero ambitions are to be realised. The Sustainable Transport Seminar is the ideal opportunity for operators of all sizes to come together, learn about and debate the issues which will affect our industry for years to come, as well as identifying ways for us all to achieve our common goal of a net zero future. Operators of all sizes cannot afford to miss it!”

FTA Ireland is a not-for-profit membership trade association for the Irish freight, passenger and logistics industries. It is wholly owned and governed by its members and acts solely in advancing their best interests. FTAI covers all aspects of private and public freight transport, passenger transport and logistics supply chain, including road, rail, sea and air. It represents some of the largest freight and passenger operators in Ireland, with more than 25,000 employees and 10,000 vehicles operating between them.   

ENDS

Notes to editors:

For further press information or comment please contact Aidan Flynn on + 353 87 354 6954. 

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