Seán Kyne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I also welcome Mr. McGrath and his family.

As we know, there has been a huge drive to roll out electric cars throughout the country. Obviously, electric cars require electric charging points. In contacting the ESB three years ago, I was informed that:

... the ESB is working on a plan to roll out high-powered charging across national and motorway routes across the country to facilitate inter-urban driving for electric vehicles. Whilst we haven't confirmed the charging point locations at this point, given that we are focusing on national and motorway routes, it is unlikely the chargers that will be installed as part of the initiative would be located [in my village of Moycullen at the time].

Nor would they be installed in other areas, as it were, on regional and national secondary routes, such as Oughterard, Barna and An Spidéal. These areas are much travelled by tourists, in particular, and the growing population which aspires to being able to drive an electric car and it is Government policy to increase the roll-out of electric cars in time.

I sought an update in the past week and it was confirmed by the ESB that, "there are no plans to change the focus of the roll-out plan for e-car charging infrastructure". I ask for a debate on the issue of electrics and seek an update from the Minister on this matter. If we are serious about climate, and I know Government has put a huge focus on climate action, there is a requirement for public charging points.There are a number of points in private hotels and obviously, that is an attraction and incentive for those hotels and is something positive for them to market themselves but there is a requirement in areas where there are regional and national secondary routes.

I will touch on an area I worked on in my role as a Minister of State with responsibility for natural resources and that relates to the issue of angling. It is an issue that does not get enough attention. I am calling for a debate on angling with the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Deputy Eamon Ryan. At the time I was Minister of State in 2018, I initiated a by-law to protect the great western lakes of Lough Sheelin, Lough Conn, Lough Cullin, Lough Corrib, Lough Mask, Lough Carra and Lough Arrow from the threat of the invasive pike. It is a cause of much concern to the angling community in the west that this by-law fell in court. It was challenged because an appropriate assessment was not done, yet, at the same time, two controversial by-laws are on the Statute Book that go back to 2006. For example, by-law No. 809, 2006, prohibits "a person to take or kill any pike greater than 50 cm in length measured in a straight line from the tip of the snout to the fork of the tail". The large pike that breeds and lays many eggs and that gobbles up all the small trout and salmon on our great western lakes cannot be taken. This needs to be changed. I ask for a debate on the issue of angling in this House.