The regulation of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure in Ireland is governed primarily by directly applicable European Union legislation, supplemented by national legislation and policy measures.
The key legislative instrument is Regulation (EU) 2023/1804 on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure (AFIR), which has applied in all Member States since 13 April 2024. AFIR sets mandatory requirements for the deployment, interoperability, accessibility and user-friendliness of publicly accessible recharging infrastructure, including infrastructure for electric vehicles. It also establishes requirements relating to payment methods, price transparency and consumer information.
At a national level, the Roads Act 1993 (as amended) provides the statutory authority for road authorities to construct, operate and maintain EV charging infrastructure on, in, over or under a public road. Responsibility for the national road network rests with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), while local authorities hold the corresponding authority in relation to regional and local roads. Other legislative provisions are also relevant to the delivery of EV charging infrastructure, including the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 (as amended), which provide certain exemptions from planning permission requirements. However, the primary legislative basis governing the provision of EV charging infrastructure in Ireland is the Roads Act 1993 (as amended).
Responsibility for EV charging infrastructure is shared across a number of bodies:
Department of Transport• – responsible for overall national policy on the rollout of EV charging infrastructure and for Ireland's implementation of AFIR requirements. The Department, through Zero Emission Vehicles Ireland (ZEVI), develops national strategies and plans for EV charging infrastructure deployment.
Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII)• – has responsibility for supporting the development of charging infrastructure on the national road network, including delivery of grant schemes for high-powered en-route charging infrastructure.
Local Authorities• – have a key role in the planning and delivery of neighbourhood and destination charging infrastructure and in facilitating charging infrastructure deployment within their administrative areas.
Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU)• – is the independent regulator of Ireland's electricity and gas networks and regulates matters relating to electricity network connections and distribution system operation relevant to EV charging infrastructure.
ESB Networks (ESBN)• – as the electricity distribution system operator, is responsible for providing and managing electricity network connections to charging infrastructure.
Price setting by electricity suppliers and charge point operators is a commercial and operational matter for the companies concerned. There are no current plans to introduce regulation on charging costs within the public EV charging sector. However, the Department will continue to monitor developments in the EV charging market, including pricing trends and impacts on users who rely on public charging, as part of its ongoing engagement with stakeholders and its wider work on the delivery of a fair, accessible and reliable EV charging network.
