Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 September 2022
845. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Education the grants and supports available for the installation of electric vehicle charging points in school car parks; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42540/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department produces guidance for School Authorities, and their Design Teams, who are involved in providing new or additional Educational Accommodation. Access to this guidance is provided on my Department’s website which details the Design and Technical Guidance together with the procedures which must be followed where funding is being made available from the Department.
This website was updated in 2020 with regard to guidance for the provision of electric vehicle (EV) charging in schools.
This direction and guidance is provided in the Energy Conservation and Mechanical and Electrical Building Services Design Note 202001 July 2020 and details how design teams are to provide EV charging in schools.
EV Charging is provided in all new school and major extension projects and all Summer Works Electrical upgrade projects and external works.
EV charging is also provided for in the energy efficient retrofit pathfinder scheme for schools.
My Department and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland are involved in this pathfinder since 2017. This Pathfinder programme is paving the way for, and informing, a much larger national schools’ programme for the energy retrofit of schools built prior to 2008 as included in the National Development Plan. It is facilitating research on a range of typical retrofit options, which will have been tried and tested.
It is providing valuable development information for a solution driven delivery strategy which will be founded on a solid evidence base that has proven the robustness and scalability of renewable solutions within the schools’ sector.
The longer-term outcome of the pathfinder will be to create an accurate and scalable model for energy efficient retrofits of schools across Ireland. The deep energy retrofit programme for schools built prior to 2008 is due to be rolled out as included in the National Development Plan.
