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JUST 33 PUBLIC electric vehicle charge points have been approved under a scheme announced three years ago that was intended to develop up to 200 charge points per annum.
There are a number of grants available to help people buy electric vehicles and set up charging stations at home.
But one scheme for public charging points on streets or in car parks has had little take-up among local authorities, figures show.
Under the scheme, local authorities receive a grant to cover three-quarters of the cost – up to €5,000 – per charge point put in place.
Only three local authorities have signed up to the on-street public charge point scheme so far with Louth County Council getting the all-clear for the highest number of charge points (20) of any council in the scheme.
Dublin City Council with nine charge points and Tipperary County Council with four were the other two counties that made applications under the scheme.
The grant scheme figures were provided by Environment and Transport Minister Eamon Ryan in a recent parliamentary question from Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore.
Whitmore criticised the “ridiculously low” number of councils that have taken up on the scheme.
“It’s astounding actually how low the pick-up is on it,” the TD told The Journal.
“This scheme has been running for a few years now and the take-up on it has always been low.
This is another target that the government has set that it’s not delivering on.
She said the “infrastructure is not there at the moment” for the government to achieve its target of getting one million electric vehicles on Irish roads by 2030.
More than 80% of EV charging is expected to happen at home and most users will “never need to access the public network except for longer journeys”, Minister Eamon Ryan said in his PQ response.
But he added that a “seamless public charging network” is needed to facilitate non-residential neighbourhood charging alongside charging in different locations including on motorways.
A revised version of the public charge point scheme is likely to be launched after publication of the EV Infrastructure Strategy which is due out later this year.
A new draft national charging infrastructure strategy highlighted a number of changes that could be made to better support local authorities such as funding capital costs for civil and electric works and charge point installation.
Minister Ryan also said there will be a “significant increase in funding” for public charging points later this year.
EVs in Ireland
A new grant scheme was announced last week to support people living in apartments and other places without a driveway to access charge points for electric vehicles.
There are currently more than 41,000 EVs and plug-in hybrids driven in Ireland, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland has said.
Just over one in five new cars licensed up to June this year were electric or plug-in hybrids, according to the Central Statistics Office.
By 2030, emissions from transport should have decreased by between 42% and 50% to stay in line with current targets.
The Transport Minister said the government is committed to supporting a “significant expansion and modernisation” of the EV charging network in the next few years.
The ESB operates more than 1,350 public charge points across the island of Ireland.
The public point charge scheme was first introduced by then-Environment Minister Richard Bruton in August 2019.
It was intended to deliver up to 1,000 additional charging points over a five year period with up to 200 points developed each year.
In a statement at the time, Bruton said the investment intended to “give people the confidence to make the switch” to electric vehicles.
Minister Eamon Ryan made the first approvals for funding under the scheme in July 2021 when the Louth and Dublin applications were given the green light.
The scheme is managed by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland.
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To be fair, Enterprise Ireland also deserve a lot of credit helping Irish companies grow internationally
Credit where credit is due
CREDIT. Credit got us into this shit!
We have a corporate tax rate lass than half the European average, surely it can’t be so hard to attract foreign direct investment.
Large commercial decisions are not made on only one criterion. We have a supportive open economy, relatively we are low on corruption and bribery, we speak English, are well-educated, and have yankee sympathies.
That also helps…
Another example of an overly simplistic view of our Corporation tax System. Have a look ..,. http://www.ronanlyons.com/2011/05/17/just-say-non-the-facts-on-corporate-tax-rates-in-europe/
to be reaaly fair, the taxpayer who funds both of them deserves a lot of credit also, most of whom derive little benefit
Eh, jobs?
jobs for a small number of citizens at a big cost to other taxpayers but the real scandal is the tax that the companies dont pay, its a neat trick but ask the people who have been dumped when the taxpayer funded Grants run out
Gerry. You are a cretin. For every job the State saves on Social Welfare and earns income taxes etc. That doesn’t even include the plethora of indigenous companies that feed off IDA companies. The positive ratio of investment to return with the IDA has been definitively proven. Would you ever educate yourself about the subject you’re pontificating about before commenting. My eyes are sore after reading your rubbish.
Fair play and well done IDA for a job well done. Keep up the good work!
I’m happy the Guardian mentioned the terrific work of the IDA – which is good PR for Ireland. But as for Jedward (2 grown up men acting like 11-year-old girls) – not so good.
Ah here now, 11 year old girls aren’t as bad as those clown to be fair.
As Roy would say, its like praising the postman for delivering letters.!
Roy who?
The Grauniad rails against tax dodging corpos, yet its editorial praises same to the hilt.
Hypocrites.
The Grauniad? Is that a character from lord of the rings?
It’s a reference to how the newspaper used to be full of typos.
Tried to get a job with the IDA years ago. Having no connections at all made that impossible in the Ireland of the 80′S. I wonder have things changed. Doubt it.
Maybe you didn’t have the necessary skills or experience????
Job advertised was for Assistant Executive, Trainee, a third level qualification (non specified) required. Quite general. Always wondered what the background of the people who landed those very coveted jobs back in the recession hit 80′s was.
Ha I’m sure plenty of people didn’t get the job. That’s what happens when more than one person applies for a job. No need to play the victim
When i went to school it was the industrial development authority. Why the name change?
Things change Joe….
I feel your pain Joe, its just not fair….
Thanks IDA for not providing one job or offering one penny of investment in Cavan in 40 years.
Can’t blame the IDA that multi-nationals don’t want to go to Cavan. Is there anything that Cavan is better for than any other county?
But you had the financial wizzardry of Sean Quinn……just been watching Harry Potter!
This article is highly complimentary to the IDA. The Guardian, being a left-wing newspaper, likes the opportunity to praise the work of a successful government agency like the IDA. The IDA competes successfully against similar British agencies who are trying to attract exactly the same sort of jobs from many of the same investors. Ireland’s low corporation tax system and more effective educational system gives the IDA an edge over the British agencies. The IDA has done a good job over the years but faces stiff competition from many other countries, particularly countries outside the EU where wages, energy costs and income tax and social security contributions are lower. But Ireland has the advantage of being an English speaking country within the EU, the world’s most important single Market. Much has been achieved but much more remains to be done.
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