Minister for Transport asked about plans for public EV chargers in Laois

A Laois TD has looked for plans to extend the number of publicly available EV charges in the county. 

Fine Gael TD William Aird asked the Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien for  “his plans to expand publicly accessible electric vehicle charging infrastructure in County Laois, along key commuter routes and in towns such as Portlaoise, Mountmellick and Abbeyleix; his plans to support the transition to low-emission transport in County Laois”.

In response to the Parliamentary Question last Thursday, Minister O’Brien said his department was committed to expanding and modernising the EV(Electric Vehicle) charging network. 

“While over 80% of charging is expected to happen at home, there is a vital need for a seamless public charging network that will provide for situations or instances where home charging is not possible,” said Minister O’Brien. 

He said the government’s National EV Charging Infrastructure Strategy was being revised for 2026 to 2028 and would be published in the coming months for consultation.  

Minister O’Brien explained that there is a Regional and Local EV Charging Network Plan. “This plan, which focuses on destination and neighbourhood charging, was published in April 2025. The plan will be led by Local Authorities in partnership with both public and private sectors. Laois has been identified under Region 2 with counties Longford, Roscommon, Westmeath, and Regional Lead Offaly,” he said. 

He said “the Shared Island Sports Club EV Charging Scheme provides funding to install a network of publicly accessible chargers in communities nationwide through their local sports clubs. Included in the scope of the Scheme are 227 clubs of which 179 are in Ireland and 48 in Northern Ireland. There are five eligible clubs in Laois: Annanough GAA 1, Clonaslee St Manmans GAA 1, Park Ratheniska GAA Club 1, The Heath Golf Club 1, and The Heritage Golf Resort.”

Minister O’Brien said the government will do what it can to facilitate the rollout of more chargers as having an effective and reliable charging network is an essential part of enabling drivers to make the switch to electric vehicles.

He told Dep Aird there were LDV(Light Duty Vehicle) schemes which are administered by TII on the national road network.

“Under Phase 1 a total of 131 high-powered recharging points will be built across 17 recharging pools along motorways providing an additional 24,260 kilowatts (24 megawatts) recharging capacity.

Under Phase 2 of the scheme, a total of 175 high-powered recharging points will be built across 53 recharging pools along national primary roads, providing an additional 20,000 kilowatts (20 Megawatts) of recharging capacity.

Under Phase 3 a total of 192 high-powered recharging points will be built across the 90 recharging pools along national secondary roads, providing an additional 22,000 kilowatts (20 Megawatts) of recharging capacity, “said Minister O’Brien.

He explained that “these initiatives, which also include sites in Laois, will significantly expand high power charging availability across the national, regional and local road network, creating a more convenient and reliable system for drivers nationwide.”