Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach for the warm welcome, as always. I also thank Senator McGahon for raising this important matter. The Senator outlined very well how access to a driveway or garden system rules out electric vehicle ownership for thousands of people and homeowners. I apologise on behalf of the Minister for Transport, Deputy Ryan, and Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, who are unable to be here as they are both in Cabinet.

The Government' s policy regarding the increased usage of electric vehicles, EVs, is primarily driven by the Climate Action Plan 2021, which sets a target of 945,000 EVs by 2030. The Government is fully committed to supporting a significant expansion and modernisation of the electric vehicle charging network over the coming years. A national charging infrastructure strategy is due for publication early next year and will set out a pathway to stay ahead of demand over the critical period out to 2030. An effective and reliable recharging network is essential to enabling drivers to choose electric. Not having access to a charging point cannot be a deterrent to people owning an electric vehicle. Where it is, people are certainly not going to consider moving to an electric vehicle when choosing a car. Charging at home is the most convenient and cheapest way to recharge. Targeting the installation of smart home chargers is a priority as we look to move towards more energy-efficient and sustainable ways to charge.

The EV home charger grant scheme is available from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, and has been in operation since January 2018 to support the installation of home chargers for purchasers of new and second-hand battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. The grant provides generous support towards the full cost of installation of a home charger up to a maximum of €600. However, as stated by the Senator, there are houses and dwellings in Ireland where home charging is not an option due to the lack of a driveway or garden. As such, there is also a need for a seamless public charging network that will provide for situations or instances where home charging is not possible, including on-street and residential charging, destination charging and workplace charging.

In terms of existing supports for public charging, the public charge point scheme has been in place since September 2019 and continues to be available during 2021 to provide local authorities with a grant of up to €5,000 to support the development of on-street public chargers. I note with interest the Senator’s point about Germany’s use of lamp-posts for the purpose of charging EVs, which appears to me to be a perfectly reasonable aspiration. The primary focus of the scheme is to provide support for the installation of infrastructure, which will facilitate owners of electric vehicles who do not have access to a private parking space but who instead rely on parking their vehicles in public places near their homes, to charge their EVs.

The Department of Transport is currently reviewing the scheme to ensure that it is as effective as possible in driving forward the national decarbonisation effort and is working closely with a number of key stakeholders, including local government, to ensure that the charging infrastructure stays ahead of demand. This includes developing appropriate guidance for local authorities in line with the programme for Government, which will ensure that we can continue to expand our national charging network through supports for on-street chargers.

The Department is aware that a report was published by the County and City Management Association which contains guidance to local authorities on the provision of charging infrastructure. The document is available for viewing online. Meanwhile, work is being progressed to expand the EV home charger grant in such a way as to include shared parking in apartment blocks and similar developments. The Department is working closely with the SEAI and expects a scheme for apartments to open in the near future.