Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The only point that I have not addressed in the past is electric vehicles and the lack of chargers. The Minister has talked about an increase in rapid chargers. Collectively, we will have to find a way to get many more charging points out there. I am hearing it consistently from people who have taken quite some time to get to a point where they are prepared to purchase an electric car. They have purchased one and are finding that the chargers, on many occasions, are not working. They are down for considerable periods of time. It is hugely frustrating.

The most frustrating aspect is that people have come to me to say that if they could they would give up their electric cars and go back to petrol or diesel, not because of anything to do with the car but because of their inability to find effective charging points in the towns which they frequent. It is very disheartening. We have to front-load the charging points way above what is needed in the short to medium term. We should be putting the long-term requirement in right at the very start so that we overcompensate to ultimately encourage their use. It is a big behavioural change to get people to change from the traditional fuel methods to electric vehicles. It takes a lot of confidence. Range anxiety is a very significant inhibitor. If people have worked out that the range is doable but then discover there is not an available method of charging in the areas they frequent, we have a problem. I appeal to the Minister to do whatever it takes to get a system in place of rolling out these chargers. They are just as important now as ensuring that sections of our roadways are not littered with potholes. It is that serious in my view based on the experiences I have encountered.