Danny Healy-Rae on Sky-High Costs of Kerbside Electric Charging
Deputy Danny Healy-Rae raised a constituent's complaint about kerbside charging for electric cars and criticised the government for what he called misleading advice. He urged the Taoiseach to intervene and resolve a case where the costs made a charging point unaffordable.
Constituent's kerbside charging complaint
A woman in a housing estate in Killarney bought an electric car and asked for a kerbside charging point because she had a power lead crossing the public footpath and feared liability. The council was offered a grant of $10,000 but the total cost was $26,000, leaving a $16,000 shortfall. The constituent would also face an annual bill of $5,000 - $2,500 for a standing charge and $2,500 for a service contract - plus the cost of electricity to her provider.
Claims of misleading messaging on electric cars
The Deputy said the government continuously advises people to buy electric cars and insisted the public must be told the full truth about costs and practical barriers. He accused ministers of trying to "con the people" into buying electric cars without disclosing the financial and practical obstacles some households face.
Appeal to the Taoiseach and follow-up action
The Deputy asked the Taoiseach to take up the specific case, even suggesting a Zoom meeting with the constituent. The Taoiseach said he had not encountered a case like this before, offered to raise it with the minister responsible and suggested the Deputy engage directly with the minister despite differing views on the climate agenda. The Taoiseach also said he would check the matter out further.
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Teachta, you and your government are continuously advising people to buy electric cars, telling us that we have to really do it. One girl in Killarney, and I know of several others, in a house estate in Killarney bought an electric car and she asked for a kerbside charging point as she has a lead out of her left box, crossing the public footpath and is afraid that she'd be liable if someone trips her or something happens with this lead out over the public footpath. So she asked for a charging point to be cited on the kerbside and yes the council would get a grant of $10,000, the cost is $26,000 but the council couldn't make up the other $16,000. The killer for this customer is the fact that she would have to pay $5,000 every year, $2,500 for a standing charge and $2,500 for a service contract to keep this charge and contract working. And on top of that she would have to pay for whatever electricity she would, to the electricity provider that she uses. You're over time Deputy, please. Why are you not telling the people the truth? Why are you trying to con the people and con the people into buying electric cars? Deputy Deputy, you're over the time. Can we ask the Taoiseach, maybe you might do a Zoom meeting with that lady Taoiseach, would you? Resolve the problem. Do I get a sense, Corle, that you're heading into the festive season? Yes, well. That is a new one on me. To be fair, I haven't had a case like that presented to me before. I will talk to Minister Eamon Ryan in relation to it. I do think you should build up a relationship with Minister Eamon Ryan. I know you come from different perspectives of the climate change agenda, but you might both inform each other in terms of your different perspectives. And I'm serious. I think you should engage with Minister Eamon Ryan a bit more on these issues. There's no one. But in any event, I will check out that. I mean... I mean... I mean... I mean... I mean... I mean... I mean... I mean... I mean... I mean... I mean... I mean... I mean... I mean... I mean... I mean... I mean... I mean... I mean... I mean... I mean... I mean... I mean... I mean... I mean... I mean... I mean... I mean... I mean... I mean...
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