Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)

To clarify, the Minister has stated that over the next three years, we will deploy 6,000 vehicles and then, over the following six years, he intends to deliver 244,000 vehicles. This is what Members are being told because the target for 2020, which is only ten years away, is to have 250,000 such vehicles. My concern is that although Ireland is engaged in pilot projects, it should propose itself as a pilot project for the European Union. I am frustrated with this lack of ambition because I do not believe Ireland can ramp up from 3,000 vehicles to 250,000 vehicles in the space of six years. I refer in the first instance to the requisite infrastructure to facilitate this. I am highly concerned that we are progressing too cautiously in this regard and as a result will not receive the benefits associated with being a first mover in respect of technology, smart charging, software and everything else because we simply will be overtaken by other countries' levels of ambition

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