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

I thank the Deputy for the question. She is correct that the Government is fully committed to supporting the significant expansion and modernisation of the EV charging network over the coming years as part of an overall suite of measures to deliver the programme for Government goal of significantly decarbonising our transport fleet.

We have committed €10 million from the climate action fund to promote the charging network, and this has leveraged a further €10 million investment from ESB to reach the €20 million fund the Deputy mentioned. This intervention will result in: 90 additional high-power 150 kW chargers, each capable of charging two vehicles; 52 additional fast chargers, which may replace existing 22 kW standard chargers; and 264 replacement standard chargers, powered to the level of 22 kW, with more modern technology and with each consisting of two charge points.

To date, 159 of the 22 kW chargers have been replaced, and the programme to upgrade 22 kW chargers to 50 kW chargers has commenced, with ten installations in place. In addition, the first three multi-charger sites have been delivered, one each in Galway, on the M6, Kildare, on the M9, and Laois, on the M7. A number of other multi-charger sites are at planning and design stage. Details of these network upgrades and an interactive map showing ESB charger locations can be found on the ESB website.

In addition to the ESB project, my Department provides support through the SEAI public charge point scheme. This scheme has been in place since September 2019 to provide funding to local authorities for the development of on-street chargers, as I stated in my response to the preceding question. The primary focus of this scheme is to provide support for the installation of infrastructure that will facilitate owners of EVs who do not have access to a private parking space, but who rely on parking on public streets, so they charge their EVs near their homes.

With regard to Wicklow Council, to date the response from local authorities has been very low. This is a well-supported and well-funded project and it is designed to make it easy for the councils to do the right thing. If the Deputy could encourage Wicklow County Council to take part, it would be a big help.

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