Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)

I have read with considerable interest the report of the Joint Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security on electric vehicles and I am grateful to members of the committee for their valuable contribution. The recommendations made in the report are being considered in the context of our work to implement an overall strategy for electric vehicles.

Much of the report resonates with the Government's own strategic initiatives to ensure Ireland is ahead of the curve in the electrification of transport. Together with the Minister for Transport, I have announced plans for the large-scale deployment of electric vehicles in Ireland. The target of 10% of all vehicles to be powered by electricity by 2020 will represent up to 250,000 cars on Irish roads in the next 12 years. This scale of deployment of electric vehicles will have a very positive impact in reducing carbon emissions and imported oil consumption in the transport sector.

Initiatives to advance the strategy are under way. The interdepartmental-agency task force is meeting regularly to progress the framework for deployment of electric vehicles in Ireland. It is chaired by my Department and comprises the Departments of Transport, Finance, the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and Enterprise, Trade and Employment, SEI, the ESB, IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland. As the Deputy will appreciate, good planning and preparation are vital to ensure our ambitious targets in this area are met. Accordingly, the task force is developing the options and timeframe for putting in place the necessary infrastructure and other arrangements for the national roll-out of electric vehicles. We will also take full account of global developments as the technologies mature. The task force will shortly report its initial findings and advise on next steps.

Three working groups have been set up under the aegis of the task force, namely, the transport-infrastructure group, the fiscal group and the enterprise group. The reports of these groups will critically feed into the task force's main report. Employment opportunities, the costs involved in providing car charging infrastructure and all associated issues, including funding options, will be addressed in the report.

The ESB and SEI have been working intensively as part of the task force and visited Israel and Denmark last year to study their approaches to fast-tracking the deployment of electric vehicles. I am satisfied there is sufficient expertise available to the task force and in the key agencies to enable planning to be effectively achieved.

The recently concluded memorandum of understanding with Renault-Nissan will ensure Ireland will be one of the first countries to be supplied with both Renault and Nissan electric cars. This represents a major opportunity for Ireland. Under the memorandum of understanding, ESB Networks will be able to avail of data on developments in electric vehicles which will inform our consideration of optimum infrastructure, support mechanisms and the potential benefits accruing. The role of the Government is to develop and consider options for the establishment, operation and maintenance of an electric vehicle charging infrastructure network in Ireland, together with considering measures to develop a market for the vehicles. The memorandum of understanding does not convey exclusive rights in the provision of electric cars. Ireland is open for business to all manufacturers and I look forward to building relationships with all global players in the sector.

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