Pa Daly
Question:154. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Transport if he has considered targeted supports for EV uptake in rural Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72925/25]
View answerWednesday, 17 December 2025
Questions (154)
Written answers
The EV grant system is regularly reviewed by my Department, and decisions on grant allocations and incentives are made taking into considerations such as value for money to the exchequer and the taxpayer, available budget allocations, and the most impactful measures.
Rural motorists are often in an advantageous position to make the switch to an electric vehicle, due to the large number of dwellings in rural Ireland which are suitable for home EV charging.
Home charging means lower running costs and many EVs are now capable of doing over 400km on a single charge, which will meet most people’s daily driving needs.
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 can use their EVs with confidence and certainty.
TII are leading on the delivery of charging infrastructure along our motorways and national primary and secondary routes and we have launched grant aid programmes for the delivery of significant high powered charging infrastructure on these roads over the next 12 months, to ensure that EV drivers have reliable access to charging points across the country.
Also of significant relevance to rural motorists is the Regional and Local EV Charging Network Plan. This plan describes how Local Authorities will facilitate the provision of local charging networks.
Officials from my Department have been engaging actively with Local Authorities to develop their own regional charging plans to meet the various needs of users at the local level, whether urban or rural.
All of this work is already underway through our existing EV Strategy, and a new strategy is being developed to cover the period 2026-2028. A key consideration in that will be addressing the specific EV challenges for rural communities.
There is a suite of incentives in place from ZEVI, and where applicable with support from taxation incentives through the Department of Finance, to support the continued transition to EVs, including a purchase grant for battery electric vehicles; a home charger purchase grant; VRT relief of up to €5,000; and a low rate of annual motor tax.
As detailed in the new programme for Government, we will continue to examine the current EV grant system and the introduction of additional incentives with a view to increasing take-up of EVs and replacing older, polluting vehicles.