An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
Seanad Éireann — 2021-12-14
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John McGahon (FG), Cultural and Educational Panel

This morning, I had a Commencement debate about the provision of electric vehicle charging points to people who do not have access to a private dwelling. Let nobody doubt the importance of the Seanad because a few minutes after I finished speaking, the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan, announced the very thing I was asking for. That shows clearly that Ministers pay attention to what is said in this august Chamber. Do not let anybody tell you otherwise. I will not use the words "coincidence" or "fluke" when referring to the acceptance of my request. I warmly welcome this measure. The announcement addressed many of the things I raised. The Department is going to provide financial support to pay 80% of the cost of installing the necessary electric cables in existing apartment blocks. The new measures will mean that people who live in an apartment block or have off-street parking will be able to avail of the €600 grant to be put towards providing electric vehicles. That will help many of the 204,000 people in this country who own apartments.
I would like to expand on the measures announced by the Minister. I would also like to ask the Minister to come to the Chamber in the future. I earlier raised a concept that is being operated in Germany. People with electric vehicles in Germany can pull up beside a public light and charge their vehicles from that light. That is the type of outside-the-box thinking we need between now and 2030 if we are to hit our target of 1 million electric vehicles.
I warmly welcome the Minister's announcement. I would like to think it was a natural result of my Commencement debate but I do not have the ego to suggest that.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2021-12-14/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:49:57+00:00
Sitting date: 2021-12-14