Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

130. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the position regarding the current number and locations of wheelchair accessible electric vehicle charging points by county in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22053/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Deputy will be aware that Ireland has set an ambitious target of 936,000 EVs on our roads by 2030 that reflects the scale of the transformation needed to achieve its climate targets in the coming years. Under the National Development Plan €1bn has been allocated to specific carbon reduction measures, including vehicle electrification.

The Government is fully committed to supporting a significant expansion and modernisation of the electric vehicle charging network over the coming years.

In this regard, a draft National EV Charging Infrastructure Strategy was published for consultation on March 31^st, 2022 . The Strategy sets out a pathway for the provision of charging infrastructure to stay ahead of demand and makes several recommendations in relation to the actions, funding streams and supports that will be put in place by Government to deliver a seamless public charging network.

One of the core principles of the Strategy is that EV charging infrastructure will work for everyone regardless of age, health, income or other needs. To ensure access for all citizens, principles of universal access and universal design will be considered at all stages of EV infrastructure development, from planning and design stages to operation and use.

The consultation on the draft Strategy will run until the end of May. The next phase of the public consultation will be launched this week, involving a structured online questionnaire and stakeholder webinars. The Strategy will be revised, following analysis of the submissions received and a final Strategy will be published later this year.

In light of ESB eCars responsibility for the current publicly accessible charge points in Ireland, I have forwarded the Deputy's question to ESB for attention and direct reply. Please contact my office if no response has been received in 10 working days.

Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

131. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will respond to an issue (details supplied) with regard to a large number of sold electric vehicle cars arriving very close into dealerships but close to the expiry of the SEAI grant validity period which is due to the semiconductor shortage which has caused major delays in production (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22122/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Electric vehicles (EVs) are the most prominent transport mitigation measure in the 2021 Climate Action Plan, and Ireland has set an ambitious target of 945,000 EVs on our roads by 2030. This target is challenging but indicates the scale of the transformation that is needed across all sectors if Ireland is to achieve its climate targets in the coming years.

As the Deputy will be aware, a comprehensive suite of measures is available to EV drivers, including purchase grants for private car owners.

The SEAI are aware of the semi-conductor issue which is affecting the motor industry and have been proactively engaging with all registered dealers since August 2021 to reduce or remove any impact on the EV grant.

If a situation should occur where a vehicle delivery is delayed past the grant offer expiry date, the dealer should cancel the grant application and submit a new application.  In order to support the industry, SEAI have implemented a process whereby a grant offer is instantaneous upon submission of a grant application.  Therefore, once a dealer submits a grant application, they receive their grant offer and can proceed with registering the vehicle for the customer.

SEAI provide dealer training via a live webinar twice a year and host an EV Dealer training module on our Energy Academy.  These tools provide information on the grant system and ongoing support to registered dealers.