Madam, – I would like to endorse Michael Job’s critique of the car scrappage scheme (August 26th) but could I point to an even bigger blunder, and a surprising one for a Green Minister. It is Eamon Ryan’s decision to introduce a €5,000 subsidy for people buying electric cars.
It would make far more sense to introduce a €500 subsidy for people to buy electric bikes. These cost between €500 and €2,500 each, a fraction of the cost of electric cars and, if people made the switch, it would be of far greater benefit to Ireland, both socially and economically.
Among the advantages would be a dramatic reduction in carbon emissions and traffic congestion; an equally big improvement in the fitness of users (thus reducing public expenditure on our health services during a period of cutbacks), and the bikes can be recharged on any household plug, thus eliminating the need for an expensive infrastructure of recharging points required by electric cars. Such a subsidy would also be more socially equitable and benefit low- to middle-income earners rather than higher income groups with the spare cash to dabble in electric cars.
Finally, such a subsidy could kick-start an ebike manufacturing and assembly industry in Ireland. Come on, Minister, Get on your bike! – Yours, etc,