New homes in Ireland will be required to install electric vehicle chargers - O'Brien

New homes across Ireland will be required to install electric vehicle (EV) recharging infrastructure. 

The new regulations - announced today (November 11) by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O'Brien, - will reportedly support action on climate change, improved air quality and reduced dependence on fossil fuels. 

The regulations will apply to:

• New dwelling houses with a parking space located within the boundary of the dwelling 
• New multi-unit residential buildings 
• Multi-unit residential buildings undergoing major renovation where the car park is located inside or adjacent to the building, and where renovations include the car park or the electrical infrastructure of the building or car park

Over 45,000 EVs are currently registered on Irish roads, with the Climate Action Plan committing to increase this number to 945,000 to meet the required level of emissions reduction by 2030. 

According to the Department of Housing, transport accounts for approximately 20% of Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions. 

Commenting on the news of the EV regulations, Minister O’Brien said, "[This] will help accelerate the uptake of Electric Vehicles, creating and enabling infrastructure to achieve the Government commitment of nearly 1 million Electric Vehicles by 2030.

"We are sending a strong signal of Ireland’s commitment to the clean energy transition, as the building sector has a vast potential to contribute to a carbon-neutral and competitive economy.

"This new requirement for Electric Vehicle recharging infrastructure will add to the Nearly Zero Energy Building Standards already in place for all new buildings and previous Electric Vehicles recharging infrastructure regulations introduced last year. It will add to our action against climate change in the area of emissions from residential buildings construction." 

Furthermore, Minister O’Brien has also signed new regulations to facilitate the roll-out of district heating, which can play an important role in improving energy efficiency and reducing emissions.