Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)

I propose to answer Question Nos. 7, 8 and 22 together.

In conjunction 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 equate to 250,000 cars on Irish roads.

The interdeparmental-interagency task force is chaired by my Department and comprises representatives from the Departments of Transport, Finance, the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Sustainable Energy Ireland, SEI, the ESB, IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland. The membership of the task force was chosen to ensure a fully cohesive approach across Departments and agencies in the context of planning the development of electric transportation infrastructure. ESB Networks has a pivotal role to play in this process. While I consider the membership of the task force to be appropriate at this stage, I will keep under review the need to co-opt other expertise as matters progress.

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. Initial estimates for the roll-out of infrastructure indicate it will take between 12 and 18 months, depending on the scale of initial deployment. Global developments will be factored in as the technologies mature. The task force will shortly report its initial findings and advise on the next steps. Three working groups have been established under the aegis of the task force. These are the transport infrastructure, fiscal and enterprise groups. The work of these groups will inform 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 memorandum of understanding I recently concluded with Renault-Nissan will greatly increase the level of knowledge available on the infrastructure requirements of electric vehicles and ensure that Ireland has the opportunity to 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 memorandum of understanding does not convey any exclusive rights in respect of the provision of electric cars. Ireland is open for business to all manufacturers of electric vehicles and I hope to build relationships with all global players in the sector. I also hope to develop relationships with the ICT companies that will provide the data management and communications infrastructure that will be required.

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