COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF SPECIAL MEETING OF COUNTY COUNCIL

Friday, June 19, 2026

MOTION NO.

MOTION: Councillor B. Lawlor

Amendments 1 Add SLO text to site as follows - That any development on these lands provide operational electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure at a minimum requirement of 20% of all on-street parking spaces within the development and furthermore, that the design and installation of this infrastructure includes the necessary capacity to facilitate future expansion of EV charging provision to additional parking spaces, as demand increases.

Reason: This supports Ireland's Climate Action Plan target of 30% of the private car fleet being electric by 2030. Co-Sponsored: Cllr. David McManus, Cllr. Sarah Barnes

CE Response 

The intent of the motion to provide more opportunities for on street EV charging is acknowledged and it is considered that the intent is to address the issue of residents installing private EV chargers in the public realm.  

EV Charging – Existing Policy Framework 

The Council recognises the importance in supporting appropriate EV charging infrastructure to meet evolving demand, in line with Ireland’s Climate Action objectives. The Council also acknowledges the significant growth in EV uptake nationally and the need to ensure that new developments are future-proofed in this regard. 

Objective 5 associated with Policy SM7 (Car Parking and EV Charging) of the County Development Plan seeks to support the expansion of the EV charging network by increasing the provision of designated charging facilities for Electric Vehicles on public and private land in partnership with the ESB and other relevant stakeholders; and to support the Dublin Regional EV Parking Strategy. 

Section 12.7.5 of the Plan requires EV charging to be provided in all residential, mixed-use and commercial developments, whilst identifying that a minimum of 20% of total car parking shall be allocated towards EV charging, with a higher provision within this range required in urban areas. The remainder of the parking spaces should be constructed to be capable of accommodating future charging points. 

These provisions already align with national policy, including the NPF First Revision (2025) and ZEVI strategies. 

Private Wires Bill – Emerging National Legislative Context 

The national policy and legislative framework for EV infrastructure is currently undergoing significant change through the proposed Private Wires Bill, for which Government approved drafting in December 2025. The proposed legislation will amend the Electricity Regulation Act 1999 to permit privately developed electricity networks (“private wires”) in defined circumstances, including: 

The Bill is still in the drafting stage, with detailed regulatory, technical and delivery mechanisms yet to be finalised. It is likely to introduce new licensing, safety and regulatory oversight frameworks, led by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU). 

The emergence of the Private Wires Bill is highly relevant to how EV infrastructure—particularly on-street and shared systems—is delivered in practice. It is clear that EV charging delivery models are evolving rapidly, moving beyond traditional individual point provision toward shared, managed and networked solutions. The Private Wires framework is expected to directly influence the design, location and operation of EV infrastructure, particularly in residential schemes without off-street parking. 

In this context, introducing a prescriptive SLO at this point risks pre-empting national legislation and may constrain the application of more efficient or innovative charging solutions enabled by private wires, may result in standards that quickly become outdated as national frameworks are finalised. In addition, the proposed SLO focuses solely on on-street parking, whereas the Development Plan applies a whole-development approach and it would duplicate and potentially conflict with existing Development Plan standards and limit design flexibility at planning stage, where appropriate, site-specific solutions should be determined. 

The Council’s established approach, as reflected in Development Plan standards and applied through planning conditions, is that EV charging in communal and on-street environments should be delivered in a coordinated and managed manner. In residential and mixed-use developments, EV infrastructure is generally required to be provided in “blocks or pods”, or through shared charging facilities, rather than dispersed on an individual basis. This reflects the need to ensure efficient use of shared parking, avoid the appropriation of communal spaces, and maintain safety and accessibility within the public realm. 

Given the strategic residential supply nature of Variation No. 2, detailed infrastructure requirements of this nature are more appropriately addressed through the Development Plan policy framework and at planning application stage, having regard to evolving national standards and technologies 

Conclusion 

The Council acknowledges the intent of the proposed SLO and its alignment with climate action objectives. However, having regard to: 

it is considered that the existing EV policy in the County Development Plan remains appropriate. The matter can be more appropriately examined through the next Development Plan review, when the Private Wires legislative framework and associated national guidance are fully established. Any change to EV standards and requirements should be at CDP level and not create a two tier policy system in the County through SLOs. 

It is considered that EV Charging infrastructure will be part of the proposed car parking review and research.

CE Recommendation 

No change to the proposed Variation.