Ruairí Ó Murchú
Question:39. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Transport the expected timeframe for the establishment of an office of low emission vehicles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13204/22]
View answerWednesday, 9 March 2022
Questions (39, 40, 41)
Ruairí Ó Murchú
Question:40. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Transport the timeframe for the review of the public charge point scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13205/22]
View answerRuairí Ó Murchú
Question:41. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Transport the status of the development of a new scheme by his Department which will support the installation of destination charge points in locations such as hotels, visitor centres and parks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13206/22]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 39, 40 and 41 together.
The Deputy will be aware that Ireland has set an ambitious target of 945,000 EVs on our roads by 2030 that reflects the scale of the transformation needed to achieve its climate targets in the coming years. Under the National Development Plan €1bn has been allocated to specific carbon reduction measures, including vehicle electrification.
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 being developed which will set out a pathway to stay ahead of demand over the critical period out to 2030. My Department is engaging with relevant stakeholders to inform this work and it is envisaged that the strategy will be published for consultation at the end of this month.
EV sales continue to grow strongly and it is imperative that a seamless network of recharging infrastructure is available to support that growth. In the development of the strategy officials from my Department have engaged with local authorities, other public sector bodies, and the private sector in identifying how to best support the prompt rollout of infrastructure both to address challenges in domestic and neighbourhood charging as well as the need for fast charging. My officials have also reviewed international best practice in the provision of EV charging infrastructure to understand what mix of infrastructure provision will best address the needs of Irish EV owners.
A package of supports aiming to facilitate a swift delivery of infrastructure across the country is being prepared to be launched alongside the strategy, including a destination charge point scheme and an update of the public charge point scheme. I look forward to providing more information on those aspects towards the end of this month.
I am also pleased to say that preparations are progressing well to establish an Office of Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV). 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. OLEV is expected to be established in Summer 2022.
Question No. 40 answered with Question No. 39.
Question No. 41 answered with Question No. 39.