Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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150. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of electric vehicles sold in Ireland in each of the years 2018 to 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44859/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The transport sector accounts for approximately 20% of Ireland’s national greenhouse gas emissions, with car use responsible for over half of these emissions. In recognition of this, the Climate Action Plan contains commitments to significantly increase electrification within the national fleet, including an ambitious target of 945,000 electric vehicles (EVs) by 2030. Meeting this target will be extremely challenging; however, it represents the scale of transformation needed in the transport sector if emissions are to be reduced to the extent required.

The department established the Electric Vehicle Policy Pathway Working Group to consider the optimum mix of regulatory, taxation and subsidy policies available to Government to significantly accelerate electric vehicle sales. This Group focused on mechanisms to achieve an immediate increase in EV uptake to attain over 175,000 EVs by 2025 in the line with the Climate Action Plan trajectory and, thereafter, to be well placed to reach full electrification by 2030. The full report is available online. Electric vehicle policy is kept under continuous review with a view to making low-emission vehicles affordable.

On 21st July I launched a new dedicated Office, Zero Emission Vehicles Ireland, which will oversee and accelerate Ireland’s transition to zero emission vehicles. Further information on Zero Emission Vehicles Ireland and the various incentives is available at www.gov.ie/zevi.

The below table outlines the number of new and used battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles licensed for the first time in Ireland each year from 2018 to the end of July 2022 as per CSO figures.