Sinn Féin spokesperson on Transport, John Brady TD, and spokesperson on Climate Action and the Environment, Darren O’Rourke TD, have criticised the government for failing to heed Sinn Féin’s repeated warnings that the roll-out of EVs is not fit for purpose and is setting Ireland on a path to certain climate failure.

While those in the commuter belt are moving slowly towards electric vehicles, rural communities continue to lack the adequate supports to make the switch.

Commenting on the sharp divide that has emerged between urban and rural motorists, Teachta Brady said:

“The figures that have emerged are shocking but, unfortunately, they are not surprising. Sinn Féin has been arguing for some time that the government’s EV roll-out is simply not working. As predicted, a large and growing gap is growing, not just between those with more means and those with less, but also between rural and urban communities.

“In my own constituency in Wicklow, one in five sales since January 2020 are electric, with EVs in Dublin, Kildare and Meath making up between one in six or seven new car registrations since 2020.

“However, the average across the state is between one in 10 and one in 14.

“When you break this down even further, the figures become even more stark.

“For example, in Roscommon, just one in 29 drivers are making the switch to EV, with only 43 having registered in the first six months of this year. It is blatantly obvious to anyone who is paying attention that the government’s approach is not fit for purpose and a radical overhaul is required.

“It is unsurprising to me that EV uptake is concentrated in more affluent areas, often in urban settings. This serves as yet another example of how the government’s approach to the energy transition is entirely regressive and is only really accessible to those with considerable means.

“The government themselves have even seemed to acknowledge the fact their approach excludes large swathes of people.

“For example, even if rural drivers wanted to make the switch, the reality is that the charging infrastructure is either totally inadequate or absent in many parts of rural Ireland.”

Teachta O’Rourke added:

“With the progress this government is making, Ireland is certain to blow right past our 2030 targets. The government has said they want one million EVs on the road by 2030, but to date that figure is only 110,000. With just five years to go, the prospects of meeting those targets are increasingly unlikely.

“And even if EV use is more common in more affluent urban settings, the reality is that EV uptake has been slowing across the board. In the first seven months of this year, EV sales fell by a whopping 24% when compared to this time last year.

“With transport emissions having risen last year, the government has no time to wait.

“If the goal really is to get to one million EVs on the road, Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Greens have to make the switch more accessible. Otherwise, the gap between rich and poor, urban and rural, will continue to grow.

“The calls on government to change tack are growing louder and more numerous, it is about time they started paying attention.”