Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate the Taoiseach on his election. I wish him the best of luck in the months ahead.

I raise the issue of emissions. The Taoiseach said in his response that we have, fortunately, seen a reduction in overall emissions. However, one area in which emissions are on the increase is transport. Electric vehicles, EVs, will play a key role in reducing emissions in transport, especially in more rural areas. EVs have their detractors. It has become a favourite pastime of some people to bash them or spread misinformation about them. However, they still have a key role to play. Comparing the first three months of this year with the first three months of 2023, there has been a drop in sales of EVs of 10%. That might be down to a lot of factors but one it definitely can be attributed to is that the grant has been reduced from €6,000 to €3,500 per EV. I ask that the grant be restored in full to once again incentivise the purchase of EVs. They play a key role in reducing emissions in the transport sector.

See this speech in context