Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 334: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will report on the first stage of the roll out of the charging points for electric cars; when the nationwide network will be in operation; the amount of same that will dispersed throughout the country; the number of electric cars that are in the national vehicle fleet; the standards and targets that his Department is aiming for in relation to electric and hybrid private transport by 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12784/10]

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 335: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he has made any contribution to the EU discussions on new and electric and hybrid car standards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12769/10]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 334 and 335 together.

Electric vehicles offer an increasingly realistic solution to the challenge of reducing the transport sector's Greenhouse Gas Emissions and reducing reliance on imported fossil fuels. There is now very significant global investment under way in research and development in this area. The technology is maturing to a point where large scale commercial deployment appears feasible in the short to medium term. There is keen interest internationally in Ireland's decision to be an early mover in this field. Ireland is seen as an excellent test-bed particularly in relation to network infrastructure development. The Government has set a target of 10% of all vehicles to be powered by electricity by 2020, which equates to around 225,000 vehicles. Ireland aims to be at the forefront of technology developments and we are working with relevant Departments and Agencies to ensure that the necessary policies and infrastructure are in place to meet this target.

In the European Union context, the Spanish Presidency has placed electric vehicles firmly on the EU energy policy agenda. The Presidency, together with Ireland, Denmark and Portugal, has underlined the real opportunities for Europe to transform energy use in transport. We agreed at the informal meeting of Energy Ministers in Seville last January that the development of electric vehicles technology and standards should be progressed by the European Union as part of delivery of energy efficient and low carbon systems. Informed by those discussions, the Commission will bring forward a policy document in relation to green vehicles shortly.

The Council has also agreed that electric vehicles will be included as a priority technology sector under the Strategic Energy Technology Plan. ESB, through its membership of Eurelectric, is also playing a leading role in work by European utilities and car manufacturers to progress essential technical standardisation across Europe. The challenge now for Ireland is to develop a cost efficient electric vehicle infrastructure network, together with measures to develop a market for the vehicles themselves.

An Agreement establishing a comprehensive partnership to position Ireland as one of the European leaders in electric transport was recently signed by myself, the ESB and the Renault-Nissan Alliance. This new Agreement, builds on the Memorandum of Understanding signed in April last year to study the promotion of electric vehicles in Ireland, and includes the development of a nationwide electric car charging infrastructure, the continued sharing of technical and market data between the parties and the early supply of electric cars into the Irish market by both Renault and Nissan from 2011.

Under the agreement, ESB will roll out 1,500 charge points nationwide by December 2011. The roll out has already begun in Dublin and charging points will also be installed in Cork, Galway, Waterford and Limerick. ESB also plans to install 30 fast charge points across Ireland by the end of 2011, with nine expected to be set up by the end of this year. The intention is that the infrastructure will be non-exclusive and that, on a market basis, it will be readily accessible by all electricity supply companies.

A number of incentives are already in place which underline the Government's commitment to promoting electric vehicles in Ireland. The VRT exemption for electric vehicles and the VRT reliefs of up to €2,500 for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which were due to end in Dec 2010, have been extended in the last budget for a further two year period. In addition to this I recently announced that those purchasing an electric vehicle will be grant aided for a 2-year period of up to €5,000, depending on the price of the vehicle. Grant aid of up to €2,500 is also being provided for eligible plug in hybrid electric vehicles. The grant scheme will be administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland and full details will be finalised in the coming months in advance of the scheme commencement date of Jan 2011.

The support schemes are non-exclusive and will be open to any vehicle from any manufacturer which meets the qualifying criteria. My Department does not have statistics in relation to the number of electric or hybrid vehicles in the public sector vehicle fleet.