John Paul O'Shea (Cork North-West, Fine Gael)
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292. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he is in agreement with the previous Government's stated position on the need for an EU legislative proposal on greening corporate fleets, as per the letter signed by former Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan, on 7 October 2024; if his Department has carried out any assessment on the impact that EV fleet mandates will have on the car rental sector and rural and regional tourism; if the previous Government's position on this matter aligns with the current Programme for Government and the upcoming tourism strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63523/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The Government remains firmly committed to accelerating fleet electrification, both private and corporate, as part of our broader climate objectives. Under the Climate Action Plan 2023, Ireland has set an ambitious target for 30% of the private car fleet to be electric by 2030. Delivering a sustainable, low-carbon transport system is a core priority for the Department. Fleet electrification is one of the two largest mitigation actions for domestic sectors and will deliver the greatest share of transport emissions reductions by 2030.

Zero Emission Vehicles Ireland (ZEVI), an office within the Department of Transport, is committed to creating the conditions necessary for widespread EV adoption. The public charging network has grown in recent years and the new Programme for Government includes further significant expansion and modernisation of the EV charging network so that drivers nationwide can use their EVs with confidence and certainty.

Local Authorities are actively developing their own regional charging plans to meet the various needs of users at the local level. ZEVI are further facilitating extensive engagement with Failte Ireland, the Car Rental Council and the Irish Hotel Federation, to identify the level of seasonal demand associated with the tourism sector regionally.

The Greening Corporate Fleets initiative originates from the European Commission’s Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy (December 2020), which committed to “a comprehensive policy of actions to boost the uptake of zero-emission vehicles in corporate and urban fleets.”

In October 2024, Ireland joined a small group of like-minded Member States in writing to President von der Leyen at Ministerial level, urging the Commission to take action on corporate fleets. The Government strongly supports EU intervention to help achieve its 2030 EV targets and beyond.

The Commission’s legislative proposal is expected by the end of 2025. Once the proposal is published, My Department will work to assess how the proposal will affect Irish businesses, in terms of the number and type of companies within scope of the proposal. We will also give consideration, in due course, to whether our existing supports for EV take-up need to be adjusted to better complement an EU Regulation.