The Department of Transport has announced a new round of funding, €15 million worth, for installing fast electric car chargers. The funding is aimed at fast charging points for community facilities in counties Laois, Longford, Offaly, Westmeath, Roscommon and municipal districts (MDs) of Ballinasloe (Co Galway), Athy, Clane-Maynooth, (Co Kildare) and Carrick-on-Suir and Thurles (Co Tipperary)
Transition from fossil fuels
The funding is part of the EU Just Transition Fund, which seeks to ensure that consumers aren't put out of pocket in the transition to renewable energy and zero-carbon transport. It's co-funded by the Government of Ireland and aims to support regions experiencing the negative impacts from the transition away from fossil fuel-intensive or greenhouse-gas-intensive industries, such as the using peat for energy generation.
Eamon Ryan, Minister for Transport, said: "The EU JTF Community Facilities EV Charging Scheme is an example of how the Government and the European Union are working together to connect communities with smart and sustainable mobility options to benefit directly from the green transition. Directed specifically at the wider Midlands region, this is one of many initiatives we are taking to accelerate the transition towards a greener, more sustainable transport system and to boost the uptake of electric vehicles across the region."
Communities and local agencies
Pobal, which works on behalf of the Government to support communities and local agencies toward achieving social inclusion and development, will be handling all of the applications for the new funding.
Pobal CEO, Anna Shakespeare said: "Pobal is delighted to work with the Department of Transport and Zero Emission Vehicles Ireland on this exciting and ambitious new scheme. The EU JTF Community Facilities EV Charging Scheme is a very timely and important initiative to support the rollout of electric vehicle charging points at community facilities in the wider midland region. This Scheme will support local communities in their transition to climate neutrality through the expansion of publicly accessible electric vehicle charging points in towns and villages across the region. In light of Ireland's targets under the Climate Action Plan 2023, we in Pobal recognise the value of accessible services to communities and are proud to support it. With Pobal's own commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals this will be a programme of importance to us as an organisation in the years to come. We look forward to working with all stakeholder organisations in the region to making this scheme a success and model of best practice for community-based EV charging schemes."
More funding rounds to follow
This is the second strand of funding for local EV charging points. The first was the scheme to encourage local sporting clubs to install chargers. Next up will be further destination schemes for commercial and public sector locations, as well as a neighbourhood charging scheme which will support local authorities to provide charging for areas where home charging is not possible.