Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 61:

In page 52, between lines 8 and 9, to insert the following:

“Amendment of section 19 of Act of 1993 45.Section 19(1) of the Act of 1993 is amended by the insertion of the following paragraph after paragraph (c):

“(cc) prepare, or arrange for the preparation of, schemes for the provision of a safe and efficient network of recharging infrastructure and refuelling infrastructure for such zero to low emission vehicles as the Minister may prescribe and provide and maintain, or secure the provision and maintenance of, such a network;”.”.

Amendment No. 75 inserts a new miscellaneous Part 15 into the Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021. Section 56 of this new Part concerns functions of the Minister for Transport in respect of zero-to-low-emission vehicles. This new section, along with the associated amendments in this group, are related to the establishment of an office of low-emission vehicles, as recommended in the electric vehicles policy pathway report that was published last September and mandated under action No. 274 of the Climate Action Plan. Preparations are under way in my Department to establish this office, to be known as "Zero Emission Vehicles Ireland", or "ZEVI", which will play an important role in our transition to zero-emission vehicles. ZEVI will have a broad remit in support of the Government's goal of achieving almost 1 million electric vehicles, EVs, on Irish roads by 2030 and will play an important role in Ireland's transition to zero-emission vehicles by co-ordinating measures to support the uptake of EVs and the roll-out of charge point infrastructure. It will work across the government and society to support this transition. Its operations will include: supports for EV uptake; infrastructure delivery; strategy; and policy lead, including in respect of taxation and regulation, research and innovation, communications and public and stakeholder engagement. ZEVI will have an objective voice on EVs, providing advice to the public and private sectors and carrying out significant stakeholder engagement.

Currently, ZEVI's functions are split across four organisations: my Department; the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI; the NTA; and TII. It is intended that these functions will continue to be delivered by the named organisations but under the umbrella of the new office, which will bring these policy and delivery functions into one hybrid organisation with a single identity and focus to enable delivery of the ambitious EV targets under the Climate Action Plan.

I anticipate that ZEVI will be established in my Department next month.

To facilitate the establishment of the office within my Department, the new sections 56(1) and 56(2) give the Minister for Transport new statutory functions in relation to zero- to low-emission vehicles and the related charging and refuelling infrastructure to enable him or her, as the case may be, to establish ZEVI to operate in the EV and infrastructure space. ZEVI will be mandated to promote and seek to accelerate the uptake of EVs and to promote, increase and develop public awareness of such vehicles and the availability of the related infrastructure to support this uptake.

In this context, the new section 56(3) sets out a number of actions the Minister for Transport, essentially ZEVI, may take, as required, to achieve these objectives. The Minister may assist in the provision of recharging and refuelling infrastructure, carry out EV and infrastructure training and research, promote and assist research of new EV technologies, advise on design, standards, accessibility, operation and use of EVs and related infrastructure and, critically, engage with key stakeholders with regard to electricity network development requirements to facilitate EV infrastructure.

In parallel to the foregoing, amendment No. 61 inserts a new section 45, which in turn amends section 19(1) of the Road Traffic Act 1993 concerning the specific functions of the NRA by inserting a new section 19(1)(cc) to confer a new function on the NRA or, more specifically, TII. This section will enable TII to prepare schemes for the provision of recharging and refuelling infrastructure for zero to low-emission vehicles in relation to national roads or proposed such roads. TII will be empowered to provide and maintain this network. The Minister for Transport may prescribe, by regulation, the vehicles in respect of which one or more refuelling or recharging networks will be delivered by TII. The purpose of this amendment is to enable TII to deliver EV charging infrastructure on the national roads network in the context of its role as a roads authority

Government amendment No. 77 provides for the consequent amendment of the Long Title to the Bill arising from the proposed inclusion in the Bill of matters relating to new functions for the Minister for Transport in respect of zero- to low-emission vehicles and related infrastructure.