National Economic and Social Council
Dail Éireann — 2026-02-17
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Liam Quaide (SD), Cork East

A serious structural barrier has emerged in the transition to electric vehicles, EVs, that Government policy is yet to confront. Large numbers of people, particularly those in apartments, terraced houses and rented accommodation, have no driveway and, under current circumstances, they are precluded from installing a home charger. On-street charging schemes remain extremely limited and subject to inconsistent rules across local authorities. In many parts of the country, residents are simply told that no programme exists and installations are not permitted. That lack of flexibility is no longer sustainable if we are serious about EV uptake.
Public charging is not a viable substitute for EV owners. It is now significantly more expensive than home charging and would leave many households paying a permanent premium just to play their part in the transition. That creates a grossly unequal shift to EVs, based on housing circumstances. The recent report from the National Economic and Social Council, NESC, stresses the need for an inclusive transition. When will the Government publish a clear national plan for residential EV charging for households without driveways?

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-02-17/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:38+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-17