To ask the Minister for Infrastructure to detail (i) the powers, budget and responsibilities of her Department for the provision of electric vehicle charge points; (ii) her assessment of the current provision of electric vehicle charge points, including rapid-charge points, with particular reference to current and anticipated future need; (iii) what discussions she has had with the Electricity Supply Board (ESB) in relation to fixing the broken charge points and the installation of more AC and rapid charging points throughout Northern Ireland; and (iv) any funding provided by her Department to ESB during the current mandate.

The electric vehicle charge point infrastructure is operated on a commercial basis. Responsibility for the operation, maintenance and development of the public charge point network transferred to the Electricity Supply Board (ESB) and Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) with effect from 30 July 2015. My Department has no budget for the provision of electric vehicle charge points, however, we do maintain an interest in ensuring the network is up to standard and working effectively.

There are currently 320 22kWh (Fast) charge points at 160 locations and a further 17 50kWh DC (Rapid) public charge points in the North. My officials are currently considering the future requirements in terms of public charge point infrastructure and will continue to liaise with ESB to consider any specific requests to ensure the public network can meet the needs of EV owners now and in future. Officials continue to engage with OZEV regarding funding for “Project Rapid” and we are awaiting confirmation as to whether it applies in the North at this time, and/or if it is allocated via the Barnett Consequential.

My officials have also had regular discussions with local councils in relation to the need for more efficient and easily accessible electric vehicle charge points, including more recently with regard to the On-Street Residential Charge Point Scheme (ORCS). My officials have also been engaging with the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) and with the Energy Saving Trust (EST), who administer the scheme, with reference to councils in the North. The EST held a workshop with local councils in Northern Ireland about the scheme in Autumn last year.

My Department has recently been engaging with ESB on its plans to replace approximately 70 charge points i.e. 35 charge posts, to upgrade and improve the reliability of the existing public network. In addition, I am making changes to the planning system, through permitted development rights, to make it easier to expand the charging infrastructure for electric vehicles.

I have also been able to support the EU INTERREG VA Funded FASTER electric vehicle network project. The project is to install a total of 73 EV Rapid charging points across the island of Ireland and the West of Scotland by 31 March 2023. The responsibility for the delivery of projects sits with the project partners, and more specifically the lead partner, which have agreed a timeline for delivery with the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). I am pleased to be able to inform you that my Department will be contributing €513,945 (£455,371) of Match Funding towards the FASTER project.

As set out above, the electric vehicle charge point infrastructure is operated on a commercial basis and my Department has no budget for the provision of electric vehicle charge points. My department has, therefore, not provided any funding to the commercial company ESB during the current mandate.

Funding opportunities for the installation of charge point infrastructure in Great Britain and in the North are provided by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV).