Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

Unfortunately I had to miss the start of the session today so forgive me if this question has already been answered. It relates to the risks to meeting the targets. Dr. Byrne mentioned supply chain capacity as a concern or a challenge in the current market. I have been through the retrofitting process recently and it is very difficult to get workers and materials. Has the SEAI done a risk analysis of the current inflationary rates or the current supply chain constraints? Has scenario modelling on the risks to meeting the targets been carried out? This would include such as things as likelihood of longer timeframes. Has that piece of work been done?

The Chair mentioned that this session is not about EVs but the SEAI mentioned the budget for technology. One of the things with EVs that many of us have concerns about is the significant investment, I believe it is €10 billion,that is being put into this sector. Many people cannot afford a new EV. There are options to retrofit cars. This is a much cheaper way of doing it as it would mean that people who cannot afford brand new cars can still transition to a zero-carbon transport model. It is also the most environmentally-friendly if it uses the existing car structure. Has the SEAI considered EV retrofitting? Some work has been done. Some people in my constituency of Wicklow have done it and are working on it. I understand that it is done to a much greater degree in other countries such as the Netherlands. Has the SEAI examined that as a potential?