The leader of the Rural Independents has claimed that government targets for electric vehicles (EV) are “unrealistic” and an “attack on rural dwellers”.
Under the Climate Action Bill, the government intends to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 to help Ireland meet its emissions targets.
However, deputy Mattie McGrath described the ban as “another ruinous attack on the Irish way of life by inner-city and government elites under the guise of net-zero emissions by 2050”.
“The government’s target for electric vehicles includes an initial figure of 195,000 by 2025, followed by a further 750,000 in 2026-2030.
“These targets are completely unrealistic considering the ongoing difficulties in manufacturing, distributing, and the pinning of families’ collars due to the ever-worsening cost-of-living crisis,” the Tipperary TD stated.
“The government’s second target would require that almost every vehicle purchased here between 2026-2030, new or secondhand, would have to be an EV,” McGrath continued.
“This target is not even remotely practical, as no secondhand market for EVs exists; the new options are prohibitively expensive for most people, and the government must wake up to these realities.
“Even before the current cost-of-living crisis, most Irish families could not afford to purchase a fancy electric vehicle as their next car; typically, it is only those with high incomes who have shown a willingness to purchase them.”
The Rural Independents leader said that the taxpayer will also have to foot the bill for EV charging stations and associated infrastructure.
“Outside of Ireland’s five major cities, where public transport is limited or disjointed, a car is essential for social and economic mobility. Thus, limiting the purchase of such cars to limited range electric-powered is a massive attack on all rural residents.”
McGrath also claimed that constituents who own an EV are switching back to diesel and petrol models due to a lack of charging points, broken existing ones, or unreliable battery range issues.
“The time has come for the government to row back on these elite policies, give ordinary people a break, cease trying to exert control over people, and recognise the financial burdens they are under,” Mc Grath concluded.