Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for raising this issue. The Government's policy on the increased usage of EVs is primarily driven by the climate action plan, which sets out a target of having 945,000 EVs on Irish roads by 2030. To support these EVs, Ireland has a comprehensive charging network available to EV owners to charge their vehicles. Several operators are providing charging points, with the majority being rolled out by EasyGo and the ESB through its ecars programme. Each provider has a map outlining the availability of charging points that is updated in real-time.

Charging-point operators in Ireland mainly provide charging points that are the standard 22 kW or the higher 50 kW or 150 kW. Standard charging points are located on streets and at strategic destinations, such as train stations, hotels and shopping centres. The fast and high-powered charging, HPC, points are mainly focused along the motorways.

In addition to the charging points on the main network, charging points are provided at locations such as places of employment and private car parks. Currently, there are approximately 2,000 charging points in Ireland, and this number is continuing to grow.

A sum of €10 million from the climate action fund was committed to support ESB investment in the charging network, and this has leveraged a further investment of €10 million, from the ESB. This intervention alone will result in 90 additional high-powered chargers, each capable of charging two vehicles; 52 additional fast chargers, which may replace existing standards chargers; and the replacement of 264 standards chargers with more modern technology and with each consisting of two charge points. The project is due to be completed in 2022.

With regard to the three Border counties the Senator has mentioned, the Department of Transport is informed by ESB ecars that its charging network currently includes the following: in County Meath, 24 standard charge points, six fast chargers and two HPC points; in County Louth, 24 standard charge points and four fast chargers; and in County Cavan, ten charge points and one fast charger. ESB ecars is to begin work next month to install a HPC hub in County Monaghan. Work to install HPC locations in Trim and Navan, County Meath, will be completed by mid-2022. ESB ecars is in negotiation with private landowners with regard to the provision of a new HPC hub in County Cavan.

The FASTER project is a joint initiative aimed at supporting the installation, by May 2023, of 73 rapid 50 kW-capacity EV charging stations across both jurisdictions within Ireland, as well as in Scotland, and it has been awarded €6.4 million from the EU INTERREG VA programme. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, which administers the scheme, has informed the Department that, to date, three local authorities have submitted applications for funding, while a further 13 have requested application forms. Louth County Council is seeking funding for the installation of 20 points.

The Senator inquired about County Monaghan. I do not have any information in my reply, but the primary focus of the scheme is to support the installation of infrastructure that will facilitate owners of EVs who do not have access to private parking spaces but who rely on parking their vehicles in public places only.