451. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Transport whether consideration has been given to the provision of dedicated funding for electric vehicle charging infrastructure for County Galway, particularly in view of the increasing uptake of electric vehicles and buses and the current shortfall in charging facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62001/26]

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

The National EV Charging Infrastructure Strategy outlines the requirements for publicly accessible charging and installing EV Infrastructure that is capable of meeting user needs. This strategy is currently being revised. A refreshed strategy for 2026-2028 was published for consultation between February and April, and this is expected to be finalised in the coming weeks.

Over €120m has been allocated in 2026 to support the continued transition to EVs, which includes over €44m towards EV infrastructure delivery. The 2026 infrastructure allocation will fund delivery of EV charging in Galway under Phase 1 and Phase 3 of the LDV National Road Grant Scheme. It also includes funding for pilot EV infrastructure schemes in 15 Local Authorities, including the first pilot in Galway City which was completed in 2025.

Under the Regional and Local EV Charging Network Plan, local authorities will be funded by my Department, through Zero Emission Vehicles Ireland and Transport Infrastructure Ireland, to develop local and regional EV charging network strategies and implementation plans. This process will identify the number of charge points required in each area, including on-street chargers to serve residents without access to private off-street parking. Galway county has been identified under Region 7 of this plan and separately identified as City 1.

Additionally, the Shared Island Sports Club EV Charging Infrastructure Scheme, which includes 10 eligible sites in Galway, is a €15 million all-island initiative supporting the installation of publicly accessible EV chargers in sports clubs. The aim of the scheme is to install a network of publicly accessible EV chargers in communities throughout the country, through their local sports clubs.

Dedicated funding and investment in electric vehicle charging infrastructure is critical to supporting the continued transition to a zero-emission bus fleet. To date, more than 250 battery-electric buses have been accepted into the Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann fleets nationwide, including the operation of Ireland's first fully electric bus services in Limerick and Athlone. A further 98 zero-emission battery-electric buses are awaiting deployment pending the installation of charging infrastructure. Plans are in place to bring all 42 buses allocated to Galway into service in late 2026 and early 2027. To accelerate future deployment, the National Transport Authority (NTA) has finalised an Electric Bus Charging Infrastructure Framework, which will facilitate the more rapid installation of charging facilities at Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann depots across the country. This will support the faster integration of electric buses into the public transport fleet, including in Galway. In addition, the National Development Plan (NDP) Sectoral Investment Plan for Transport, published in November, allocated significant funding to the NTA to advance BusConnects programmes in Dublin, Galway, Cork, Limerick and Waterford, including bus fleet electrification and the provision of associated charging infrastructure. The NTA is expected to publish a more detailed plan later this year outlining the specific elements of the BusConnects programmes that will be progressed within the available funding envelope.