Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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429. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of charging ports and parking bays for electric vehicles at his Department building and other buildings used by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28886/18]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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Currently, my Department has one e-car charging point and one designated parking bay at its headquarters in Dublin 2, and is set to increase to three charging points shortly. The position at my Department's office locations will be kept under review in the light of growing demand.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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430. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the level of funding in 2018, 2019 and 2020 to boost electric vehicle ownership, including purchase grants, 0% benefit-in-kind and home charger installation grants; his plans to increase the number of charging ports for vehicles; the number of charging ports and parking bays for electric vehicles at his Department's office building and other buildings used by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28907/18]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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438. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans for legislative change to make it compulsory that all commercial, retail and residential development being built or planned in the future will be required to have power points for electric vehicles at each of the associated car parking spaces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29274/18]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 430 and 438 together.

The National Development Plan sets the ambition of at least 500,000 electric vehicles on the road by 2030 and, in order to support reaching this level, allocates €200m in funding for electric vehicles over the period 2018 to 2027.

Funding of €9.8 million has been allocated in my Department's budget this year to support the increased deployment of electric vehicles. These supports include the Electric Vehicle Purchase Grant (€6.0m capital and €0.1m current), the Electric Vehicle Home Charger Grant (€1.0m capital and €0.1m current), supports for public charging (€1.5m capital and €0.3m current) and the Electric Vehicle Public Awareness Programme (€0.5m capital and €0.3m current). No decision has yet been reached on specific funding levels for future years. Benefit-in-kind comes within the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Finance.

The National Policy Framework: Alternative Fuels Infrastructure for Transport in Ireland 2017 to 2030 sets out the need for electric vehicle charging in Ireland. Although the existing capacity of the public charging network is considered adequate, development of infrastructure to meet the growing demand is necessary.

A key aspect of the work of the Low Emission Vehicle Taskforce, co-chaired by my Department and the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, involves examining how best to support the development of the public charging network. The first phase of the Taskforce's work, which focuses on electric vehicles, is nearing completion and I expect to bring forward proposals that will support the provision of effective and efficient publically accessible electric vehicle charging later this year.

Funding for public charging in local communities is already available through the Better Energy Communities Scheme.  The scheme, which is administered by the SEAI, supports community based partnerships to improve the energy efficiency of homes, businesses and community facilities in a local area. 

To support home charging, where the majority of electric vehicle charging takes place, I introduced the Electric Vehicle Home Charger Grant this year.  This supports the cost of installing a home charger up to a maximum of €600 for buyers of both new and second-hand electric vehicles.

As part of the  Low Emission Vehicle Taskforce, the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government is the lead department in relation to planning legislation and building regulations. In addition, the revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive was recently finalised at European Union level. This Directive sets out requirements for the installation of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in new residential and non-residential buildings with more than ten parking spaces and such buildings undergoing major renovation.  The Directive also requires Member States to lay down requirements for the installation of a minimum number of recharging points for all non-residential buildings with more than twenty parking spaces from 2025. Furthermore, the Directive requires that Member States provide for measures in order to simplify the deployment of recharging points in new and existing residential and non-residential buildings. The transposition of this Directive into Irish law will be led by my colleague, the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government. 

Currently, my Department has one electric vehicle charging point with a designated parking place at its offices Adelaide Road in Dublin. It is planned to increase this number to three charging points with accompanying designated parking places. The position at my Department's office locations will be kept under review in the light of growing demand.