Niall Collins (Limerick West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 416: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his policy on the use of electric vehicles; the support his Department and local authorities make available for initiatives promoting electric vehicles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9887/09]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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The Government has set a target of 10% of all vehicles to be powered by electricity by 2020, which will represent up to 250,000 cars on Irish roads over the next 12 years. This scale of deployment of electric vehicles will have a very positive impact in terms of reducing carbon emissions and Ireland's reliance on imported fossil fuels in the transport sector. Key initiatives to advance this policy objective have already been put in place. The Minister for Finance has provided a new tax incentive for businesses to purchase electric vehicles in the 2009 Finance Act. This enables businesses to write off 100% of the cost of purchase against tax under the Accelerated Capital Allowance Scheme. Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) is also developing a €1 million project on alternative transport technologies including electric vehicles.

I have established an inter-departmental agency taskforce to progress the framework for deployment of electric vehicles in Ireland. The first meeting of the taskforce, which is chaired by my Department, was held in October 2008 and it is meeting regularly. All relevant Departments, including the Department of Transport, are members of the taskforce. SEI, ESB, the IDA and Enterprise Ireland, and other stakeholders and agencies are also represented on the taskforce.

The task force is assessing the infrastructure options for the national roll-out of electric vehicles. The Government is sending out the message that Ireland is open for business in this area and we will also take account of global developments as the technologies mature. The taskforce will report its initial findings and advise on next steps in the next few months.