Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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447. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will confirm the level of uptake in the purchasing of electric vehicles, in particular cars, over the past three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50835/13]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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In April 2011, I opened the Electric Vehicles Grant Scheme, which is run by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, to incentivise the purchase of new electric vehicles. Only passenger or light commercial vehicles, categories M1 or N1, which have achieved European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval, qualify for aid under the scheme. 276 of the electric vehicles registered over the past three years have been grant-aided under the scheme. According to information furnished to my Department by the Central Statistics Office, 103 electric vehicles were registered in Ireland in 2011, 48 of which were classified as private cars. In 2012, 215 electric vehicles were registered, 165 of which were private cars and, of the 64 electric vehicles that have been registered in the first ten months of this year, 50 were private cars.