David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle's office for selecting this matter for debate and for the Minister of State for being here. Unfortunately, this is the second time that the Minister for Transport cannot be here with us but that is another story.

I recently purchased an electric vehicle, EV, and they are a great job, really fantastic, charging at night and so on. However, the charging network nationally leaves a lot to be desired. I know a lot of work has been done. I have read the implementation plan and the strategy that has been established by the Department and the Minister. It is very good and very impressive. However, a few things need to be done. First of all, we to need to ensure the user experience is as pleasant as it can be. It is easy to pull up and fill up with petrol or diesel at the moment. Trying to do the same with an EV is a different ball game altogether. First, you have to find a working charging point that is fast charge and where there is no queue. You do not know at the start how much it is going to cost and people may often be out in the rain. When people refuel with petrol or diesel they are covered. EVs are an add-on, so if it is lashing rain people are going to get wet. You do not know how fast they are going to be either. Charging points have different speeds and different connections.

I know there is a strategy in place and it is very good, but we really need to get working on this. The customer experience is hugely important. The user experience is the new buzzword and that really needs to be taken on board when people using these charging points. I can understand range anxiety and charger anxiety. If a person is driving along the motorway and the range is going down rapidly, he or she begins to wonder about where the next charging point will be, if it will be working and if there will be a queue. This is hugely important. There are five principles involved in the strategy. We need to make sure that the chargers are interoperable, so that when people pull up, they know it will fit their car and will not be something that does not fit it. Charging has to be seamless and it has to be relatively inexpensive. There are points of friction at the moment. There are physical limitations and issues with the number of charging stations around the country. There are not nearly enough.

The Minister of State might tell us in a moment what is the plan to beef up the infrastructure to make sure it is user-friendly and that people are not going to be out in the rain. That might sound like a moot point, but not if you are trying to figure out how to use these things and it is spilling rain. The apps to use these chargers are quite complicated. People need to download an app. We should have a situation where people can use their bank card to swipe and get it done. This can be done with petrol and diesel; the same experience should apply with electric charging. If you buy electric vehicle, you have to download an app and some of the apps are quite complex. I found the ESB one extremely complex. The other ones are not as complex but they are something people have to work with. The number of people buying electric cars has increased, and that is a good thing, so the number of electric cars on the road is increasing dramatically, but the infrastructure is not keeping pace.

I am little bit worried about the timescale on the strategy. It looks good but I think we need to make it faster. I am really impressed with the strategy of the people in zero emission vehicles Ireland, ZEVI, which is the organisation in the Department overseeing all this, and with what they have done, but we need to move it faster. People are moving ahead of us at this stage. The experience I had last Saturday was not great, to be honest. I know other people with electric vehicles. I came across one gentleman who was sitting there for quite a while waiting for his vehicle to charge and the machine was only at 50% capacity at the time. These are new technologies. I know a lot of people do home charging and so on.

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for raising the matter. I am responding on behalf of the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan.

The Government is fully committed to supporting a significant expansion and modernisation of the electric vehicle charging network over the coming years. Our climate action target of almost one million electric vehicles on the road by 2030 is a challenging one which needs to be matched by meeting the equal challenge of providing enough charging points to meet demand. We are pleased to say that we are currently ahead of our vehicle uptake projections and we now have a robust roadmap under the national EV charging infrastructure strategy to further develop sustainable charging options for users.

In July 2022, a new dedicated office, zero emission vehicles Ireland, also known as ZEVI, was established within the Department of Transport to oversee and accelerate Ireland's transition to zero emission vehicles. Having an effective and reliable charging network is an essential part of enabling drivers to make the switch to electric vehicles. . It is also an essential part of ensuring just and equal access to EVs across Ireland, including in rural areas. There is a key purpose and function of ZEVI and one which has whole-of-government support.

The first thing to note is that home charging is a viable and preferred option for EV users. In Ireland, about 80% of EV users have, or will have, the option of charging at home. Home charging is the primary charging method for most Irish EV owners as it is convenient and cheaper for the customer as well as assisting the overall management of the national grid by encouraging off-peak electricity use. The Government strongly encourages and incentivises use of home charging through a home charger purchase grant scheme, which was updated last year to include apartments and allow chargers to be installed without proof of EV ownership. For those unable to charge at home, improving access to public, destination and en routecharging is a priority for ZEVI. Later this year, a new residential charging scheme will launch to encourage installation of chargers in areas where home charging is not possible. This will seek to replicate the home charging experience for those without a driveway or off-street parking.

For destination charging, a number of schemes are launching in 2023 which will incentivise the roll-out of faster charging to facilitate quick top-ups or potentially to provide a faster, once-a-week charge. So far in 2023, ZEVI has launched a scheme to install chargers at sports clubs. It is preparing to launch a community centre scheme in the summer, and will also develop a general scheme to help install chargers at commercial sites and visitor locations towards the end of the year. Additionally, ZEVI is actively considering the requirements for en route, high-powered charging infrastructure which is focused on our motorways and national routes and facilitates those persons who need to charge quickly when on longer journeys, or operating a commercial route.

It is important to note that improving the charging network does not stop at simply increasing the number of chargers. ZEVI is also developing standards for payment, accessibility and data which will ensure the network is available to as many users as possible, assess how the network is performing and identify charging demands. With a sustained increase in home charging, a growing network of destination chargers and en route, high-powered charging, and with a focus on usability, the Government is looking to create an adaptable and accessible network of chargers, which is intended to meet the needs of all EV users. A robust charging network will allow EVs to play their part in the wider decarbonisation of transport, which is such a key part of Ireland's wider climate goals. Again, this is a challenge but one the Government intends to meet.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for his response and I agree with most of what he says here. The issue with respect to home charging is important. You can charge at a cheaper rate overnight and so forth, which is good. That needs to be expanded as well, by the way. The big issue I and some of my colleagues have encountered, however, is the dearth of charging facilities on the motorways and, in fact, in rural areas. The apps are quite complicated. Quite often, the chargers do not work properly, and there is a queue as well. If we are going to increase the number of EVs, and the number is increasing, with people buying more of them, we need to ensure we have the en routecharging facilities available.

Do not forget as well the maximum range from an EV is 400 km to 500 km, which is different from a diesel or petrol car, which can be up to 1,000 km in some cases. This shows the need to have more charging points on roads and motorways - en route, in other words. I take the point with respect to sports clubs, community centres and so on, but they will actually be slow chargers. They take a while to charge a vehicle, like the ones in the Leinster House complex, whereas fast charging en routeis what we really need. They need to be covered over so that people are protected from the elements, they need to be user-friendly, and they need to be accessible. People with disabilities and so on also need to be able to use them easily, and that is not the case at the moment with some of these. They are away in a corner somewhere, hard to find and hard to get at, and maybe only one vehicle can pull in at a time. This needs to be addressed, and pretty quickly or otherwise people will lose confidence in these cars, people will stop buying them and the number will drop.

So far, I am happy with ZEVI and what it is doing. It needs to do it faster and better, and that is my message today - to move this on quickly. I know the ESB has a huge investment planned for this as well. This is the future and the way to go, but the user experience at the moment is not actually great.

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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Like all climate change issues, this area is complex, but the Government believes it is making the right moves in creating an environment where EVs become not just an option but the preferred option for those who need to use a personal vehicle. All indications suggest we are approaching a point where the technology and the market for EVs matures and begins to match, then exceed, internal combustion in practically all areas. Our charging network is, similarly, on a journey towards maturity, with strong growth under way and long-term planning focused on meeting future needs.

The move from internal combustion to electrified transport is not going to be easy. In fact, as a societal shift, it is quite monumental but it is truly needed. It is the Government's intention to offer strong alternatives to internal combustion vehicle use, whether that be active travel, sustainable mobility or improved public transport. These preferred options will be supplemented by zero emission vehicles and a comprehensive charging network. As noted, the Government is fully committed to increasing both the quantity and quality of our charging network to ensure it not only meets the future demand but does so in an efficient, equitable and economic way.

We will work with all partners, whether they be citizens, public sector bodies such as local authorities, or private sector organisations such as charging providers, to ensure we address all challenges arising and get as many chargers online as are needed. Without a robust EV charging network, a transition to truly decarbonised transport is not feasible, so it is vital we all get it right and remove any doubts about the viability of EVs for both current and future users.