Administrative frictions in Ireland’s Shared Island Sports Club EV Charging Scheme

Citation

Lentz P, Augustenborg C & Lades L (2025) Administrative frictions in Ireland’s Shared Island Sports Club EV Charging Scheme. Irish EPA. https://publicpolicy.ie/environment/administrative-frictions-in-irelands-shared-island-sports-club-ev-charging-scheme/

Abstract
Summary: The Government of Ireland has established targets to facilitate the country’s low-carbon transition, including targets to increase use of electric vehicles (EVs), as part of their Climate Action Plansi. In February 2023, Ireland’s Department of Transport launched the Shared Island Sports Club EV Charging Scheme, offering funding for the installation of EV chargers at sports clubs across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. However, barriers to participation can arise through frictions present in the application process, which can make a sports club’s application experience burdensome. The purpose of this policy brief is to measure the type and size of these frictions in the Sports Club EV Charging Scheme and provide recommendations to reduce those frictions. An audit of the scheme led to the development of a journey map, illustrating the typical steps a sports club takes to apply for funding for EV charger installation. A qualitative analysis of stakeholder interviews informed the evaluation and the quantification of administrative frictions present in each step of the journey. The audit identified excessive waiting periods, poor communication, and uncertainty in the scheme’s progress as key administrative barriers in the scheme. To address these obstacles, this brief recommends the improvement of communication through monthly correspondence to sports clubs, the establishment of clear timelines, and the provision of information for the remaining phases of the scheme.