223. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Transport if he has assessed the impact of recent price increases by public charging operators on EV owners who may be forced to rely on public infrastructure due to council restrictions on private chargers; if affordability considerations will be incorporated into the forthcoming legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49526/26]

The Government is fully committed to supporting a significant expansion and modernisation of the EV charging network over the coming years. Having an effective and reliable charging network is an essential part of enabling drivers to make the switch to electric vehicles.

Price setting by electricity suppliers and charge point operators is a commercial and operational matter for the companies concerned. There are no current plans to introduce regulation on charging costs within the public EV charging sector. However, the Department will continue to monitor developments in the EV charging market, including pricing trends and impacts on users who rely on public charging, as part of its ongoing engagement with stakeholders and its wider work on the delivery of a fair, accessible and reliable EV charging network.