Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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424. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the national policy in terms of parking electric vehicles during recharging; and if local authorities are within their rights to charge parking fees for cars which are charging in designated spaces. [14794/19]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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The transition to alternatively-fuelled vehicles, including electric vehicles, EVs, is a necessary step-change to effect a substantial reduction in transport emissions. In order to expedite the deployment of low carbon technologies, especially the uptake of EVs, my Department and the Department of Communications, Climate Action and the Environment jointly convened an inter-Departmental Low Emission Vehicle Taskforce. The Taskforce includes representatives from across the public sector and has consulted widely with industry, stakeholders and representative groups. Phase 1 of its Work Programme focused exclusively on EVs.  

The role of public parking and parking charges were considered for the potential development of a new further incentive to EV ownership as part of that Phase. A Progress Report summarising the deliberations of the task force has been published on my Department’s website (available at: ). Recommendations made by the task force were considered by Government ahead of Budgets 2018 and 2019, and a suite of continued and new EV supports was established, with a notable increase in demand for and take-up of EVs taking place in 2018 and 2019.

It is important to note that, under the Road Traffic Act, 1994, local authorities have the power to make bye-laws governing the type of paid parking controls in their areas. Therefore, it is a matter for each individual local authority to designate whether they apply and enforce free or paid parking for EVs while recharging.