Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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200. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the steps he is taking to ensure the electric vehicle charging network in rural counties such as Mayo is comprehensive and user friendly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3216/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Government is fully committed to supporting a significant expansion and modernisation of the electric vehicle (EV) charging network over the coming years.

Having an effective and reliable charging network is an essential part of enabling drivers to make the switch to electric vehicles. It is also an essential part of ensuring just and equal access to EVs across Ireland, including in rural areas.

Home charging is the primary charging method for most Irish EV owners as it’s convenient and cheaper for the consumer as well as assisting in the overall management of the national grid. Over 80% of charging is expected to happen at home.

However, 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.

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. A suite of new grants and initiatives have been launched and further information on Zero Emission Vehicles Ireland is available at www.gov.ie/zevi.

ZEVI has significant funding available in 2023 for the installation of EV charging across Ireland.

Last week I launched the national Strategy for the development of EV charging infrastructure, covering the crucial period out to 2025, alongside an Implementation Plan. The strategy sets out the government’s ambition regarding the delivery of a public EV charging network to support up to 195,000 electric cars and vans by the middle of the decade.

A key action in the Strategy is the provision of high-powered chargers in remote areas to enable just transition.

In addition, a range of new charging infrastructure schemes are being developed which will help provide another critical link in the overall network for public charging, including rural areas. These schemes include:

- Destination Charging Scheme – this will be open for applications from the public and private sectors, organisations such as hospitals, leisure facilities such as municipal swimming pools, cultural centres, hotels, cinemas, and shopping centres.

- Visitor Sites Scheme - ZEVI will launch new grant schemes to support the rollout of publicly-accessible electric vehicle charging infrastructure at both state-owned and commercial visitor locations nationwide. Community centres will also be included in these schemes.

- The Shared Island initiative - ZEVI is developing a scheme to fund a network of publicly-accessible fast charge points in local sports clubs across the island. The Sports Centres Scheme will build on the successful Government initiative of the Sports Capital Grants, which greatly improved sports facilities and communities in recent years.

- JTF Community Centre Scheme. It is envisaged that, in particular, the provision of destination charge points at community centres will support the transition to EVs in these communities.

- EV Car clubs offer a significant opportunity for avoiding car ownership, enabling more use of public transport while still having access to sustainable motoring when other sustainable mobility options are not available. Destination charging can support car-sharing e-mobility solutions. ZEVI will work with the car-sharing sector and local authorities to pilot the provision of charging infrastructure to support e-car clubs.