Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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187. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the way he intends to accelerate the roll-out of electric vehicle charging points; the estimated number of EV public and on-street charging points to be delivered by the end of 2022; the number of public and on-street electric vehicle charging points per county to date; and if he will identify the month for publication of the national charging infrastructure strategy. [12935/22]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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189. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the progress made by the ESB on the roll-out of high-power electric vehicle chargers and fast chargers; the funding that has been provided to date to support this roll-out; and if he will provide a breakdown of charging points available in each county and future plans to expand high power charging infrastructure throughout the country. [12938/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 187 and 189 together.

The Deputy will be aware that the Government is fully committed to supporting a significant expansion and modernisation of the electric vehicle charging network over the coming years. A national charging infrastructure strategy is due for publication at the end of this month which will set out a pathway to stay ahead of demand over the critical period out to 2025.

Preparations are underway to establish an Office of Low Emission Vehicles. This Office will play an important role in our transition to zero emission vehicles. It will co-ordinate measures to support the uptake of EVs and the rollout of charge point infrastructure.

Having an effective and reliable recharging network is essential to enabling drivers to choose electric. Charging at home is the most convenient and cheapest way to recharge. Targeting the installation of smart home chargers is a priority as we look to moving towards more energy efficient and sustainable ways to charge. A grant is available from the SEAI for those individuals seeking to install a home charger. Work is currently being progressed to expand the EV home charger grant to include shared parking in apartment blocks and similar developments. My Department is working closely with the SEAI and expects a scheme for apartments to open shortly.

There is also a need for a seamless public charging network that will provide for situations or instances where home charging is not possible such as on-street and residential charging, destination charging, and workplace charging. 

€10 million was committed from the Climate Action Fund to support ESB investment in the charging network and this has leveraged a further €10 million investment from ESB, with the infrastructure to be in place by the end of 2022. This intervention alone will result in:

- 90 additional high power chargers, each capable of charging two vehicles -  Seventeen high-power chargers distributed across 14 multi-vehicle hubs have been delivered as part of the programme to date.

- 52 additional fast chargers, which may replace existing standard chargers - This work is completed at 36 locations.

- 264 replacement standard chargers with more modern technology and with each consisting of two charge points - This work is substantially complete. 258 of the chargers have now been successfully replaced.

Further details on the progression of this project can be found at esb.ie/ecars/our-network/network-upgrades.

The Public Charge Point Scheme continues to be available during 2022 to provide local authorities with a grant of up to €5,000 to support the development of on-street public chargers. The primary focus of the scheme is to provide support for the installation of infrastructure which will facilitate owners of electric vehicles, who do not have access to a private parking space, but instead rely on parking their vehicles in public places near their homes to charge their EVs. My Department is reviewing the Scheme at present to ensure that it is as effective as possible in driving the decarbonisation effort. A package of supports including a revamped scheme is expected to launch alongside the Infrastructure Strategy.

Thirteen local authorities have been in touch with SEAI in relation to the Public Points Scheme. To date, letters of offer have issued to Louth County Council and Dublin City Council in 2021 to install a total of 29 charge points within their administrative areas. 

I am also aware that a report was published by the CCMA on the provision of guidance to local authorities on the provision of charging infrastructure. The document is available for viewing online at www.lgma.ie/en/publications/general-publications/local-authority-electrification-of-fleet-and-ev-charging-guidance.pdf.

My Department is also developing a new scheme which will support the installation of destination charge points in locations such as visitor centres and parks. This new initiative will help provide another critical link in the overall network for public charging.

In light of the ESB eCars responsibility in the matter of the provision of charge points, I have forwarded the Deputy's question to the ESB for direct response.  Please contact my Office if no reply is received within 10 working days.

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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188. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide the number of successful applicants in receipt of the electric vehicle home charger grant scheme from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland; the average processing time for each successful application; and when this scheme will be made available for homeowners who reside in apartments. [12936/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Having an effective and reliable recharging network is essential to enabling drivers to choose electric. Charging at home is the most convenient and cheapest way to recharge. Targeting the installation of smart home chargers is a priority as we look to moving towards more energy efficient and sustainable ways to charge. A grant is available from the SEAI for those individuals seeking to install a home charger. Work is currently being progressed to expand the EV home charger grant to include shared parking in apartment blocks and similar developments. My Department is working closely with the SEAI and expects a scheme for apartments to open in the near future.

Since the EV Home Charger programme began making grant payments in 2018, SEAI has paid out a total of 16,000 Home Charger grants. Before the SEAI scheme began, ESB ECars provided free home chargers. It takes an average of 3-4 days to approve an initial grant application. An applicant then has up to 6 months to complete the installation and submit the paper work required to claim and request for the payment of the grant.

Based on an analysis of 2021 payments, it takes an average of 41 calendar days to make a home charger grant payment once all paper work to support the claim have been made to SEAI.