Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 511: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his plan to switch 10% of road vehicles here to being fully electrically powered by 2020 as set out in Building Ireland's Smart Economy - A Framework for Sustainable Economic Renewal 2009-2014, in view of the fact that there is no infrastructure in place such as recharge points and the first mass produced electric car is yet to be rolled out. [17619/09]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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Together with the Minister for Transport, I announced plans last year for the large scale deployment of electric vehicles in Ireland. The target of 10% of all vehicles to be powered by electricity by 2020 will represent up to 250,000 cars on Irish roads over the next 12 years. A number of initiatives to advance the strategy 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. An inter-Departmental agency taskforce has been established to progress the framework for deployment of electric vehicles in Ireland. The taskforce is being chaired by my Department. The Departments of Transport, Finance, the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and Enterprise, Trade and Employment along with SEI, ESB, the IDA and Enterprise Ireland are all represented on the taskforce.

The taskforce is assessing the options and timeframe for creating the necessary infrastructure 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 shortly. Three subgroups have been set up under the taskforce; a Transport/Infrastructure Group, a Fiscal Group, and an Enterprise Group. The reports of these groups will feed into the main report being prepared by the taskforce. All issues relating to employment opportunities, the costs involved in providing car charging infrastructure and associated issues will be addressed in the report.

The recently signed Memorandum of Understanding with Renault-Nissan has ensured that Ireland will be one of the first countries in the world to be supplied with both Renault and Nissan electric cars. This will be a major opportunity for Ireland both in terms of our targets and more generally in relation to the economic impact of electric car development. Under the Memorandum of Understanding ESB Networks will be able to avail of a range of information on developments in electric vehicles, enabling more detailed and precise planning around infrastructure, support mechanisms and the potential benefits accruing. The Memorandum of Understanding does not convey exclusive rights in relation to the provision of electric cars. Ireland is open for business to all manufacturers in relation to electric vehicles and I look forward to building relationships with all global players in the sector.

My Department will work with the ESB Networks, SEI, the Commission for Energy Regulation and all key players to determine how the necessary infrastructure to deliver on our ambitions for electric vehicles will be put in place and how best to fund this infrastructure.