New charging point for electric vehicles in Houses of the Oireachtas

A new electric vehicle charging point has been installed in the Houses of the Oireachtas, a Fine Gael Senator has said.

Senator James Reilly has called for more people to make use of the grants available to make the switch to greener motoring.

Senator Reilly said: “I recently purchased a new electric vehicle and I’m delighted there is now a designated charging point in the Houses of the Oireachtas.

 “This is the way forward for transport because there are no emissions, so we’re really doing our part to help try to counteract climate change.

“There are huge incentives to buy these cars now. The Government will give you €5,000 towards the purchase of a new electric car.If you’re self-employed, the first €25,000 can be written off against tax, and if you’re an employee with a fleet car there’s no Benefit in Kind. There’s also a grant to install a charging point at your home, so it’s a win-win for the environment and a win-win for your pocket.”

Senator Reilly added: “We’ve come a long way on the road to the transition to electric vehicles but we still have a lot of ground to cover.

“I’m calling on the Government to increase the number of charging points across the country and ensure every place of work has access to a charging point to ensure the uptake continues apace.

“I’d also like to see an innovative electric vehicle charging system connected to the county’s public lighting system.

“Fingal Co Council in Dublin Fingal Constituency has a pilot scheme using an electric light pole near its HQ in Chapel Lane Swords and also at a location in Howth. This pilot scheme has won an award at the National Co Council LAMA awards.

“It has huge potential to provide easily accessible charging points using an existing network without engaging in any heavy engineering works like digging up concrete, installing power lines etc.

“We need to make it easy for people to do the right thing and ease of access to many charging points, along with very attractive Government financial incentives, will go a long way to accomplishing that goal.”