Written Answers Nos. 201-222
201. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the progress made in increasing the allocation of funding from his Department to Galway County Council which is seriously underfunded; when an announcement will be made in relation to the appointment of a permanent chief executive to the Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11778/22]
View answerThe Programme for Government commits to a change to the allocation model for Local Property Tax (LPT) and specifically to 100% local retention of LPT in the area in which it is collected. Seperately, I have also commited to reviewing baseline funding for all local authorities following the first revaluation of LPT by the Office of the Revenue Commissioners. That Office is continuing its work on the revaluation and the associated returns from property owners. As of yet however, my Department has not received a breakdown of the new LPT yield per local authority. Once this important data set is available, the review of LPT baseline funding can progress.
My Department has advised the Public Appointments Service (PAS) of the requirement to hold a recruitment competition for a replacement permanent Chief Executive in Galway County Council on a permanent basis. It is now a matter for PAS to put the necessary recruitment arrangements in place.
There is a requirement for all Chief Executive posts for Local Authorities to be advertised openly on the www.publicjobs.ie website operated by PAS and the timing of the advertising of this post is a matter for PAS.
202. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will ensure adequate funding is allocated to local authorities in 2022 to continue the much-needed housing voids programme in view of the success of the programme in 2020 and 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12063/22]
View answerThe management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, the implementation of a planned maintenance programme and carrying out of responsive repairs, are matters for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966.
Since 2014, Exchequer funding has also been provided through my Department's Voids Programme to support local authorities in preparing vacant units for re-letting. This funding was introduced originally to tackle long term vacant units and is now increasingly targeted to support authority's to ensure minimal turnaround and re-let times for vacant stock.
From 2014 to 2021, expenditure of some €261 million was recouped to local authorities under the Voids Programme which funded the return to productive use of 18,527 properties nationwide. Local authorities also provide significant funding from their own resources to address the level of vacancy within the social housing stock.
There has been extensive funding provided particularly over the last two years under the Voids programme which not only catered for standard relets but also for vacant properties requiring more extensive works prior to relet. It is up to each local authority to submit a programme of works based on their individual allocation or targets.
In 2020, €56.4m exchequer funding was provided to bring a total of 3,607 vacant homes back into productive use within the social housing stock. This represents the highest ever yearly spend and the highest number of homes to be refurbished under the voids programme. Within this programme local authorities had the opportunity to remediate long term vacant properties (houses vacant over 12 months) the funding for which was uncapped. Again in 2021, the Voids programme catered for a non-standard refurbishment option which allowed local authorities claim an average of €50,000 funding in this category (no vacancy limit). Full details in relation to output up to and including the 2021 programme is available on the link below.
www.gov.ie/en/collection/0906a-other-local-authority-housing-scheme-statistics/#voids-programme.
My Department will continue to support local authorities in their work in this area in 2022. However, as result of the significant investment by the Department in the Voids Programme, local authorities should also now be in a strong position to begin the transition to a strategic and informed planned maintenance approach to stock management and maintenance. To that end, my Department and local authorities are working to transition from a largely response and voids based approach to housing stock management and maintenance, to a planned maintenance approach. This will require the completion of stock condition surveys by all local authorities and the subsequent development of strategic and informed work programmes in response. My Department will support these work programmes by ensuring that the funding available under the various stock improvement programmes is aligned with this approach.
203. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the latest timelines for the development of a functioning maritime area regulatory authority agency; his plans in place regarding its location and development of build infrastructure to house it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10484/22]
View answerThe Maritime Area Planning Act 2021, which was enacted in December 2021, includes provisions to establish a new agency, the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority (MARA).
I aim to have MARA up-and-running by Q1 2023 and to facilitate this, a dedicated Unit has been set up within my Department to progress the Implementation Plan to establish this new agency.
Early priorities for the MARA Establishment Unit will include undertaking a skills needs assessment for the new body, establishing the Board, and appointing a chief executive officer. Extensive preparatory work will also be required in advance of the establishment of MARA in respect of each of its individual functions (maritime area consents, licences, enforcement etc.) including preparing a series of regulations and statutory guidelines, and developing the processes dependent on same.
A budget of €2 million for 2022 has been secured to allow early investment in the structuring of the new agency.
The Government has decided that MARA will be located in Wexford in line with regionalisation policies under the National Planning Framework and in order to capitalise on the potential for staff mobility and knowledge sharing between my Department, the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and the Environmental Protection Agency. Wexford also has a great maritime history and will provide an appropriate setting for this important and much-needed new agency. My officials are engaging with OPW in respect of MARA’s accommodation requirements.
206. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the measures he is taking to increase the collection of the derelict sites levy in urban areas [12068/22]
View answerAddressing vacancy and dereliction, and maximising the use of the existing housing stock, is a priority objective of the Government, as evidenced by the recently published Housing for All - A New Housing Plan for Ireland where one of the four pathways in the plan is specifically dedicated to this area.
My Department continues to liaise with local authorities on the implementation of the Derelict Sites Act with a view to improving its effectiveness. My Department initiated a review of the Derelict Sites Act in November 2021 to identify potential improvements to the legislative provisions and the way they are applied and will be engaging further with local authorities in this regard in the coming months.
208. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will report on plans to ensure local authorities such as Mayo County Council will increase housing delivery in particular by increasing the supply of affordable housing measures and schemes to assist purchasers to meet the costs of newly-constructed homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12124/22]
View answerThe Housing for All Strategy delivers on the Programme for Government commitment to step up housing supply and put affordability at the heart of the housing system, with an ambitious target of 300,000 homes over the next decade for social, affordable and cost rental, private rental and private ownership housing.
Delivery of affordable housing, in accordance with the schemes set out in the Affordable Housing Act, 2021 and the funding being made available will be underpinned by local authorities' Housing Delivery Action Plans. Local authorities submitted their Plans to me in December 2021. This allowed each local authority to assess the level of need for affordable housing in their area based on the Housing Need and Demand Assessment and plan provision accordingly.
Many rural counties may have pockets of unaffordability, as opposed to county-wide need for affordable housing. The development of schemes in key towns where prices are higher and affordable need is concentrated may be considered and applications can be made for supports under the Affordable Housing Fund.
The First Home scheme will be up and running by the middle of this year nationwide. It will improve access to newly-built homes, below the median price point, by using a shared equity model to bridge the gap between mortgage finance and the cost of new homes. This measure, targeted at First Time or fresh start buyers, will allow purchasers to exit the rental market, help to build developer confidence in realisable consumer demand, and contribute to the recovery of our construction sector following the Covid-19 emergency.
Other measures to allow buyers to access newly-constructed housing affordably such as the Help to Buy Scheme and the Local Authority Home Loan (formerly the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan), are also available to eligible purchasers nationally to make home ownership more affordable. Information on these schemes is available at the following links:
https://www.revenue.ie/en/property/help-to-buy-incentive/index.aspx, and
https://localauthorityhomeloan.ie/
210. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has considered reform of the voids scheme given its failings [12067/22]
View answerMy Department is focused on ensuring that the existing housing stock is utilised to the fullest extent possible. The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, responsive repairs and implementing planned maintenance programmes, is however a matter for each individual local authority, under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966.
Notwithstanding the legal obligations on local authorities to manage and maintain their own housing stock, my Department provides Exchequer funding to support local authorities in preparing vacant units for re-letting under the Voids Programme. Introduced in 2014 with the original aim of tackling long term vacant units, the programme is now increasingly targeted at ensuring minimal turnaround and re-let times for local authority vacant stock.
From 2014 to 2021, expenditure of some €261 million was recouped to local authorities under the Voids Programme which funded the return to productive use of 18,527 properties nationwide. Local authorities also provide significant funding from their own resources to address the level of vacancy within the social housing stock.
There has been extensive funding provided particularly over the last two years under the Voids programme which not only catered for standard relets but also for vacant properties requiring more extensive works prior to relet. It is up to each local authority to submit a programme of works based on their individual allocation or targets.
In 2020, €56.4m exchequer funding was provided to bring a total of 3,607 vacant homes back into productive use within the social housing stock. This represents the highest ever yearly spend and the highest number of homes to be refurbished under the voids programme. Within this programme local authorities had the opportunity to remediate long term vacant properties (houses vacant over 12 months) the funding for which was uncapped.
In 2021, the Voids programme also catered for a non-standard refurbishment option which allowed local authorities claim an average of €50,000 funding in this category (no vacancy limit). Full details in relation to output up to and including the 2021 programme is available on the link below.
www.gov.ie/en/collection/0906a-other-local-authority-housing-scheme-statistics/#voids-programme.
As per Circular 17/2021, and in line with previous year’s programmes, local authorities were notified that only the minimum works required to comply with the Housing (Private Rented Standards) Regulations, 2019 should be carried out so as to ensure properties are turned around as quickly as possible and to maximise the budget available. Furthermore, my Department receives regular updates on the status of each local authority’s programme of works and actively encourages the remediation of all local authority owned vacant properties as expeditiously as possible.
My Department will continue to support local authorities in their work in this area in 2022. As a result of the significant investment by the Department in the Voids Programme since 2014 and particularly in 2020 and 2021, local authorities should be in a strong position to begin the transition to a strategic and informed planned maintenance approach to stock management and maintenance. To that end my Department and local authorities are working to transition from a largely response and voids based approach to housing stock management and maintenance to a planned maintenance approach. This will require the completion of stock condition surveys by all local authorities and the subsequent development of strategic and informed work programmes in response. My Department will support these work programmes by ensuring that the funding available under the various stock improvement programmes are aligned with this approach.
211. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of developer provided infrastructure that has not yet been taken in charge by Irish Water [12049/22]
View answerFunding of €68.5 million under the National Development Plan has been allocated for the period 2021-2025 for water legacy issues in relation to lead pipe remediation and the Developer Provided Water Services Infrastructure Resolution Programme.
My Department is operating a Multi-annual Developer Provided Water Services Infrastructure Resolution Programme to provide funding for the progressive resolution of housing estates with legacy developer provided water services infrastructure. The programme is focused on housing estates which are not taken in charge by local authorities and do not have their water services connected to the public water services network but rely instead on infrastructure, often temporary in nature, which was provided by developers.
In September 2020, I announced the first tranche of funding under this programme. Just over €3.36 million was made available for 26 estates across 10 counties with almost 950 households to benefit.
The Expert Panel is currently considering further bid submissions from local authorities and this, subject to my approval, will lead to a further wave of funding allocations in Q2, 2022. These projects, together with a major study being undertaken by Irish Water, will inform future policy and funding needs on resolving sub-standard developer provided water services infrastructure in the areas involved.
It will take a number of funding programmes to fully resolve estates with developer provided water services infrastructure, however, my Department is committed to progressing the taking in charge of these legacy estates through increased funding over the coming years.
212. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he or his officials are aware of the work of a not-for-profit organisation (details supplied) established to create solutions to divert surplus renewable energy which would otherwise be wasted to Irish homes with a primary focus on those in fuel poverty; if he has engaged with local authorities or approved housing bodies on the issue of finding solutions within the social housing sector to utilise the renewable energy that is being dumped to help address fuel poverty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12248/22]
View answerThe matter raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for EirGrid, the transmission system operator. It is clear that the underlying issue is a concept known in the energy sector as "dispatch-down" of renewable energy. This term refers to the amount of renewable energy that is available but cannot be used by the energy system. This is because of broad power system limitations, known as curtailments, or local network limitations, known as constraints.
EirGrid prepares an annual report outlining the levels of dispatch-down of renewable energy on the island of Ireland. The latest such report can be found here: http://www.eirgridgroup.com/site-files/library/EirGrid/Annual-Renewable-Constraint-and-Curtailment-Report-2020.pdf.
Dispatch-down is regrettable and EirGrid strives to address the system limitations that cause it. They have a number of measures in place that seek to limit the amount of dispatch down and they continue to evolve them further in line with European policy such as the Clean Energy Package. Such measures include the DS3 programme of system services. Investing in and strengthening the electricity grid network, as well as increasing storage, are also critical to minimising the levels of renewable energy sources that are curtailed or constrained down. In addition, the Climate Action Plan 2021 includes a number of actions to address storage policy and higher levels of renewable electricity on the network. My own Department will publish a storage consultation later this year leading to the development of a national storage policy next year.
The Department is not aware of the specific details referred to by the Deputy but I have instructed my officials to ask EirGrid to review the matter.
213. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the supports that are available for farmers whose land has been affected by Bord na Móna rewetting bogs.. [12264/22]
View answer214. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if a farmer whose land has been left unworkable due to Bord na Móna rewetting neighbouring bogland is entitled to financial compensation.. [12265/22]
View answerI propose to take Question Nos 213 and 214 together.
The Bord na Móna Enhanced Decommissioning, Rehabilitation and Restoration Scheme (EDRRS) was approved by the Government in 2020 for the enhanced rehabilitation of 33,000 hectares of Bord na Móna peatlands previously used for peat extraction for electricity generation. Initially funding was from the Climate Action Fund up the value of €108 million, but subsequently, the full funding was secured from the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility on completion of agreed milestones. All of the lands being rehabilitated are operated under Integrated Pollution Control (IPC) licences granted by the Environmental Protection Agency.
In 2021, the first year of this project, 19 rehabilitation plans were approved with works commenced on 18. Plans for the 2022 campaign on a further 21 bogs in the Midlands region are well advanced. At each stage Bord Na Móna is consulting with stakeholders and landowners that may be impacted by the scheme. Bord na Móna carry-out this consultation in accordance with EPA guidance on the process of preparing and implementing bog rehabilitation plans. Focussing on meaningful, early and on-going, and transparent consultation with all national and local regulators, local interest/community groups, and affected parties. EDRRS is building on, and complementing, the measures required under IPC licences.
EDRRS will not only secure the storage of 100 million tonnes of CO2 emissions, but deliver benefits in terms of increasing biodiversity, supporting bog amenity and eco-system services, as well as improved water quality and water attenuation relating to flood risk management to the benefit communities locally and nationally.
Bord Na Móna has in place, and has committed to maintain, a care and maintenance team who will be responsible, among other things for boundary management on the Bord na Móna land banks. Bord Na Móna’s obligations as a property owner are not affected by the provision of this funding.
215. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications further to Parliamentary Question No. 183 of 8 February 2022, when a person (details supplied) will be contacted by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12194/22]
View answerOn 21st December 2021, the Government approved the final design of the Micro-generation Support Scheme (MSS). This scheme will see supports for new installations, including solar PV, in the form of a capital grant for domestic and small non-domestic applicants, or a premium export tariff for larger non-domestic applicants. The MSS is being introduced on a phased basis this year. The MSS domestic solar PV grant scheme commenced on the 16th February. Domestic applicants can apply to the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) for a grant towards the cost of installing solar PV equipment up a maximum of €2,400 in 2022.. However, under the MSS there is no minimum post-works BER requirement and homes built pre-2021 are eligible.In light of these approved changes, the SEAI has been in contact with the applicant concerned to confirm their application is now eligible for a grant. The Department understand that their application for a grant is currently being processed by the SEAI.
216. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if Bord na Móna has completed its rehabilitation plans for the Derryadd, Derryarogue and Derrycashel bogs in County Longford as per there requirement under the Bord na Móna IPC licence P0504-01 condition 10; if Bord na Móna has consulted with stakeholders around the development of these rehabilitation plans as per their obligations under IPC licence P0504-01; if Bord na Móna has drawn down funding under the bog rehabilitation scheme for the rehabilitation of the Derryadd, Derryarogue and Derrycashel bogs in County Longford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12228/22]
View answerThe Bord na Móna Enhanced Decommissioning, Rehabilitation and Restoration Scheme (EDRRS) was approved by the Government in 2020 for the enhanced rehabilitation of 33,000 hectares of Bord na Móna peatlands that had been previously harvested for peat extraction for electricity generation. This rehabilitation will take place on 82 bogs over a 5 year period. Initially funding was from the Climate Action Fund up the value of €108 million, but subsequently, the full funding was secured from the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility on completion of agreed milestones. All of the lands being rehabilitated are operated under Integrated Pollution Control (IPC) licences granted by the Environmental Protection Agency. The EDRRS is building on, and complementing, the measures required under IPC licences. The EDRRS is sponsored by my Department, and regulated by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), with Bord Na Móna acting as the operators of the scheme.
In 2021, the first year of this project, 19 rehabilitation plans were approved with works commenced on 18. Plans for the 2022 campaign on a further 21 bogs in the Midlands region are well advanced. The NPWS approved the rehabilitation plans for Derrycashel Bog in 2021. Funding from EDRRS can only be drawn down when the works are completed and verified by NPWS. Works on Derrycashel Bog are still on going, so no funding has been drawn down for this bog. Stakeholder engagement and a public consultation process were carried out prior to the commencement of rehabilitation works.
Bog rehabilitation actions are planned on a rolling year by year basis, taking account of operational constraints. Therefore, works plans for the remaining bogs of Derryadd and Derryarogue Bog have not yet been submitted for approval.
217. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if his attention has been drawn to the volume of renewable energy in kWh that was dispatched down due to constraints and curtailment on the energy network in 2020; if he or his officials has calculated the potential retail value of this renewable energy; if he or his officials has examined the work of a not-for-profit organisation (details supplied) established to create solutions to divert surplus renewable energy which would otherwise be wasted to Irish homes with a primary focus on those in fuel poverty; if he has engaged with EirGrid, ESB Networks and with the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities on finding solutions to utilise some of the renewable energy that is being dumped to help address fuel poverty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12244/22]
View answer218. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if his attention has been drawn to the measures being undertaken by local authorities and or approved housing bodies to utilise some of the large volumes of renewable energy that is currently dumped to help address fuel poverty in social housing; if he has engaged with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage on the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12245/22]
View answer219. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if his attention has been drawn to the European Union requirements as part of the Clean Energy Package for countries with less than 50% renewable electricity in their energy mix to limit renewable electricity curtailment to less than 5% annually; his views on the fact that in 2020 Ireland dumped 11.4% of available renewable wind energy; if he has engaged with EirGrid, ESB Networks and the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities to introduce immediate measures to utilise this surplus renewable energy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12246/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 217 to 219, inclusive, together.
The issues raised by the Deputy are operational matters for EirGrid, the transmission system operator. Nevertheless, I can confirm that EirGrid prepare an annual report outlining the levels of dispatch-down of renewable energy on the island of Ireland.
The latest such report can be found here: http://www.eirgridgroup.com/site-files/library/EirGrid/Annual-Renewable-Constraint-and-Curtailment-Report-2020.pdf.
This report contains information on historic dispatch down quantities dating back to 2011. The dispatch-down energy from wind resources in 2020 was 1,448 GWh in Ireland. This is equivalent to 11.4% of the total available wind energy.
In order to meet Ireland's target of up to 80% renewable electricity by 2030, very high penetration of variable renewable electricity on the grid will be required. Currently EirGrid operate the power system with up to 70% of renewable power at a given time, including onshore wind and solar. By 2030, this will need to rise to 95% in real time and higher.
EirGrid have a number of measures in place that seek to limit the amount of dispatch down and they continue to evolve them further in line with European policy such as the Clean Energy Package. Such measures include the DS3 programme of system services. Investing in and strengthening the electricity grid network, as well as increasing storage, are also critical to minimising the levels of renewable energy sources that are curtailed or constrained down. In addition, the Climate Action Plan 2021 includes a number of actions to address storage policy and higher levels of renewable electricity on the network. My own Department will publish a storage consultation later this year leading to the development of a national storage policy next year.
220. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Transport the salaries and pensions paid out to special advisers to Ministers and Ministers of State in his Department in 2020 and 2021, broken down by Minister in tabular form. [11393/22]
View answerOn the commencement of every Dáil, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform issues guidelines setting out the arrangements for the staffing of Ministerial Offices. The appointment of Special Advisers is subject to section 11 of the Public Service Management Act 1997.
From July 2020 costs for special adviser(s) to the Minister for Transport were absorbed by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications.
The salary cost of the advisers to Minister Shane Ross, and Minister of State Hildegard Naughton in 2020 and 2021 are detailed below:
|
Minister Shane Ross |
Period |
Cost |
|
Special Adviser Salary |
January-July 2020 |
€49,849 |
|
Press Adviser Salary |
January-July 2020 |
€47,287 |
|
Minister of State Hildegarde Naughton |
Period |
Cost |
|
Special Adviser Salary |
July 2020 - December 2021 |
€153,924 |
|
Press Adviser Salary |
July 2020 - December 2021 |
€140,032 |
|
Total |
|
€391,092 |
Standard pension contributions were deducted from salaries in 2020 and 2021.
221. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Transport if he is satisfied that the necessary electric vehicle charging infrastructure is being rolled out across the country to meet the increasing demand for owners of electric vehicles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5192/22]
View answer225. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Transport the funding streams that are allocated to each local authority for the funding of electric vehicles. [12198/22]
View answer226. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Transport the funding streams provided to each local authority for the funding of e-charging points. [12199/22]
View answer232. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Transport his engagement with local authorities in rolling out and increasing the numbers of e-car charging points for Cork city and County Cork; the level of uptake from local authorities on funding available through the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland for e-car charging points for Cork city and County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12074/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 221, 225, 226 and 232 together.
The Deputy will be aware that the Government is fully committed to supporting a significant expansion and modernisation of the electric vehicle charging network over the coming years. A national charging infrastructure strategy is due for publication shortly which will set out a pathway to stay ahead of demand over the critical period out to 2025.
Preparations are underway to establish an Office of Low Emission Vehicles. This Office will play an important role in our transition to zero emission vehicles. It will co-ordinate measures to support the uptake of EVs and the rollout of charge point infrastructure.
Having an effective and reliable recharging network is essential to enabling drivers to choose electric. Charging at home is the most convenient and cheapest way to recharge. Targeting the installation of smart home chargers is a priority as we look to moving towards more energy efficient and sustainable ways to charge. A grant is available from the SEAI for those individuals seeking to install a home charger. Work is currently being progressed to expand the EV home charger grant to include shared parking in apartment blocks and similar developments. My Department is working closely with the SEAI and expects a scheme for apartments to open in the near future.
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.
€10 million was committed from the Climate Action Fund to support ESB investment in the charging network and this has leveraged a further €10 million investment from ESB, with the infrastructure to be in place by the end of 2022. This intervention alone will result in:
- 90 additional high power chargers, each capable of charging two vehicles
- 52 additional fast chargers, which may replace existing standard chargers
- 264 replacement standard chargers with more modern technology and with each consisting of two charge points
Further details on the progression of this project can be found at esb.ie/ecars/our-network/network-upgrades.
There is 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.
In terms of existing supports for public charging, the Public Charge Point Scheme, which is administered by the SEAI, provides local authorities with a grant of up to €5,000 to support the development of on-street public chargers. The primary focus of the scheme is to provide support for the installation of infrastructure which will facilitate owners of electric vehicles, who do not have access to a private parking space, but instead rely on parking their vehicles in public places near their homes to charge their EVs. It should be noted that this scheme facilitates the installation of standard charge points.
My Department has committed to reviewing the Scheme later this year to ensure that it is as effective as possible in driving the decarbonisation effort.
Thirteen local authorities have been in touch with SEAI in relation to the Public Points Scheme including Cork County Council. However no application has been submitted to date. Cork City Council have not contacted the SEAI in relation to this scheme. Letters of offer have issued to Louth County Council and Dublin City Council in 2021, to install a total of 29 charge points within their administrative areas.
I am also aware that a report was published by the CCMA on the provision of guidance to local authorities on the provision of charging infrastructure. The document is available for viewing online at www.lgma.ie/en/publications/general-publications/local-authority-electrification-of-fleet-and-ev-charging-guidance.pdf
My Department is also developing a new scheme which will support the installation of destination charge points in locations such as visitor centres and parks. This new initiative will help provide another critical link in the overall network for public charging.
