To ask the Minister for Infrastructure what is being done to incentivise rural consumers to use electric vehicles.

The Road to Zero Strategy outlines how the British Government will support the transition to zero emission road transport and reduce emissions from conventional vehicles during the transition. The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) continues to provide a broad range of funding in GB-NI including plug-in grants for cars, vans, taxis and motorcycles, with the provision of grants for home, work and on-street residential charging infrastructure.

It is important to recognise that the majority of charging should take place at home rather than on the public network, with the majority of electric vehicle drivers, including in rural areas, having availed of the OZEV home charge point grant. The majority of drivers, especially in rural areas, should meet the requirements of the grant i.e. their home has a driveway or garage. Given the average distances travelled by car in the North, it is expected that home charging should be sufficient for the majority of EV drivers without the need to overly rely on the public charging network.

The electric vehicle public charge point network is owned by the Electricity Supply Board (ESB) and is operated on a commercial basis. It is responsible for the operation, maintenance and development of the network. There are currently 320 22kWh (Fast) public charge points at 160 locations and a further 17 50kWh DC (Rapid) public charge points in the North. ESB can be contacted directly at ecars@esb.ie or enquiries can be sent directly to ESB, Two Gateway, East Wall Road, DUBLIN 3, D03 A995. Whilst the market is open to other commercial operators who would wish to provide charging infrastructure, to date, ESB is the only public network provider in the North.

I have met with ESB to encourage it to repair non-functioning charge points. ESB recently commenced a replacement programme which will upgrade a number of faulty charge points with more modern operational charge points. ESB has advised that this work programme is being carried out in two phases. It has confirmed that it has now completed phase 1, the replacement of the first 15 AC Fast charge posts (30 charge points), and has received very positive feedback. ESB has also advised that the second phase of 15 AC Fast charge posts (30 charge points) including 5 Rapid chargers has recently commenced. I have also encouraged ESB to introduce charging on its public network as soon as possible.

An award of funding under the Levelling Up Fund (LUF) has recently been made to ESB. Whilst the award is very welcome, neither the Executive nor my Department have had a role in the LUF. Therefore, I am not in a position at this time to provide any further information on that funding outside of what is currently in the public domain.

I am also pleased to have been able to support the FASTER Project, funded through the INTERREG VA Territorial Co-operation Programme which is managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). The project has received funding through the programme to install a total of 73 EV Rapid charging points across the island of Ireland and the West of Scotland by 31 May 2023. My Department will be contributing €513,945 (£455,371) of Match Funding towards the FASTER project. The responsibility for the implementation of the project rests with SEUPB and it has agreed a delivery schedule with the project partners, led by the East Border Region Group Limited. I understand the locations for the charge points has not as yet been finalised, however, it is expected between 20-30 of these will be located in the North.

I am also taking a number of actions in respect of charge point infrastructure, including the introduction of changes to the planning system, which came into operation on 21 December 2020 and liaising with British Government Ministers in respect of future funding for our charge point network.

Funding opportunities for the installation of charge point infrastructure in GB-NI are provided by OZEV. I have recently had a further meeting with Minister Maclean, who was then the Minister for the Future of Transport at the Department for Transport, to discuss the move to electric vehicles, the approach to installing charge point infrastructure and future funding including development opportunities for our charge point network. I have been assured that OZEV will continue to highlight opportunities for charge point operators in GB to consider entering the market here in the North.

The British Government has made £20 million in grant funding available to local authorities/councils in GB-NI during 2021-22 to provide charge points for residents without off-street parking. I have recently written to councils advising them that I have made available match-funding of circa £350k, subject to public expenditure processes, from within my Department’s Blue Green Fund to assist local councils making an application to the On-street Residential Charge Point Scheme (ORCS). Accessing the funding, from the Blue Green Fund is dependent on our councils submitting a successful ORCS application and I am disappointed that to date none of our councils have done so.

I would again encourage councils to avail of the ORCS funding which provides a grant for 75% of the capital costs of procuring and installing charge points and associated dedicated parking bays. This funding cannot be accessed by my Department, it is only available to local councils and it is for them to apply individually or collectively. Therefore, should a council make a successful application to ORCS for 75% funding, the 25% match from my Blue Green Fund will mean that the capital costs are fully covered. My Department is also represented, in an advisory capacity, on an ORCS council consortium set up to look at applying for ORCS funding. My officials will continue to make themselves available to local councils to provide support, advice and guidance.

My Department has also been leading on the Transport Working Group (TWG), set up to inform the transport elements of the Executive’s Energy Strategy. An Energy Strategy for Northern Ireland Options Paper has recently been consulted upon. The Strategy, which is due to be published later this year, will include actions that need to be taken forward if we are to achieve a cleaner, greener transport system. The out workings of the TWG will include consideration of future requirements for publically available electric vehicle charge points in the North. I am keen to work within the framework of the Energy Strategy to ensure a co-ordinated and coherent approach which is focused on assessing and meeting future needs for charging infrastructure in this fast-changing policy area.

You will be aware, I have recently announced the establishment of an Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Task-Force, which comprises key organisations with a role to play in this area. The role of this Task-Force is to consider EV Infrastructure in the context of the overarching principles of prioritising active travel (walking, wheeling and cycling) and public transport towards decarbonising our transport system. In establishing this Task-Force, I recognise the importance of having a modern, reliable public electric vehicle charging infrastructure to provide confidence to users of ultra-low emission vehicles and improving connectivity across the North. It is planned to hold the inaugural meeting of the group shortly, subject to the availability of representatives.

I remain committed to working in partnership with Executive colleagues and others across our islands to help deliver a change in the way we travel that also helps us to tackle the climate crisis.