Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 11 June 2026
164. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Transport if the EV scrappage pilot scheme will include the purchase of second-hand electric vehicles; the Government schemes in place to assist with the purchase of second hand electric vehicles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44746/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe ICE2EV Scheme will launch on 1 July and be administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). It is a targeted measure to reduce emissions, by removing ICE vehicles aged over 13 years from Ireland’s private car fleet and replacing them with new battery EVs. This approach maximises emissions reductions by ensuring the most polluting vehicles are directly replaced with zero-emission alternatives, supporting faster decarbonisation of the fleet.
A key objective here is to increase the overall number EVs on the road relative to ICE vehicles. Apart from the policy consideration, extending eligibility to second-hand EVs would raise a number of practical considerations, including the risk of double granting, where public funding could effectively subsidise the same vehicle more than once across its lifecycle, as well as distorting the second hand car market between dealerships and private individual-to-individual sales.
Current incentives to support the continued transition to electric vehicles and for the rollout of electric vehicle charging infrastructure include:
•A purchase grant for battery electric vehicles (BEVs);
•A Home Charger purchase grant scheme;
•VRT relief of up to €5,000 for the purchase of BEVs;
•eSPSV grant scheme – a grant for taxi drivers to make the switch to an EV, including wheelchair accessible vehicles;
•ZEHDV grant scheme – a grant for HDVs to bridge the gap between a low emission vehicle and a fossil fuel vehicle; and
•Low rate of annual motor tax.
EV incentives and grants are reviewed regularly to ensure that they are delivering value for money and supporting delivery of EV targets.
While the second-hand EV market remains at an early stage, the transition from early adopters to the mainstream market will increase the supply of second-hand vehicles, which is essential to making the transition to lower-carbon transport accessible to a wider range of households.
