Athy EV charging facilities still not working
The charging points in question
ATHY locals will not see the return of electric vehicle (EV) chargers in Meeting Lane Car Park, Athy any time soon.
The chargers, which were originally introduced as a Kildare County Council pilot project, were disconnected last summer and expected to be taken over by a commercial entity and operational by the end of 2024.
However, the chargers remain without commercial ownership and are disconnected.
A call for their immediate upgrade and reconnection was voiced at the most recent local municipal district meeting by cathaoirleach Aoife Breslin.
The council responded that it is in the process of preparing a Regional EV strategy, which, when finished and implemented, will address the “appropriateness of such a facility”.
Cllr Breslin thanked the council for their reply, but noted her “frustration in relation to this issue.”
She said: “It’s over a year now since these were working. It’s a bit laughable at this stage.”
Cllr Breslin further argued that the municipal district is encouraging the usage of green energy in the district and that the EV chargers are an important aspect of that.
A representative from the department of transport, mobility and open spaces told elected officials that it is usually commercial entities that provide EV facilities.
Cllr Breslin responded: “We did provide them and then we took them out.”
While no immediate updates are planned, the council has promised to consider the EV chargers in conjunction with its Regional EV strategy, which is in the preparation stage.
