Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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150. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the rationale behind the decision to include a green stripe on the registration plates of electric and hybrid vehicles; what this will be used for; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49657/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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From July 2025, the green ‘flash’ plates are available for all eligible new and existing electric vehicles. The green ‘flash’ plate is available for all vehicles that produce zero emissions at the tailpipe. This includes fully battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and, in future, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. The new plate can be fitted to cars, vans, motorbikes, trucks and buses that emit no CO2 emissions. The new plate looks the same as current Irish registration plates but with an added green vertical stripe.

Ireland now joins countries like the UK, Germany and Norway in introducing distinct plates for electric vehicles. These identifiers are becoming a common way to highlight the presence of zero-emission vehicles on the roads.

The green ‘flash’ is designed to give visibility to vehicles that emit no CO2 emissions, supporting the shift to cleaner, greener transport across the country. The new registration plates will help create awareness around the changing societal norm as more people move away from polluting vehicles towards zero emission alternatives. Green ‘flash’ registration plates will allow consumers to demonstrate their choice of a green product.

This initiative helps make electric vehicles more visible, giving people and businesses a way to show their commitment to a cleaner transport future. It’s a small but effective step and a way for us to track progress on the ground and to normalise the idea of zero emission driving and is another part of our transition to electric.

The green ‘flash’ registration plates are optional, not mandatory, and apply to all fully electric vehicles, including cars, vans, motorbikes and trucks.