He said it was a considerable sum of money, and would have to be carefully spent, but placed against the 1.5 billion euros invested over five years in upgrading the existing network, it wasn't unreasonable.
And he added that if Ireland was to gain from the business opportunities relating to the development of electrically-powered transport, money would have to be spent now 'to make it clear that we are serious'.
Mr McGrath made his comments when he delivered a lecture on 'Electric Cars - an Energy Saviour or another False Dawn?' at the RDS. The event was part of a series run by the RDS in conjunction with the Energy Institute and Engineers Ireland.
During his presentation, Mr McGrath outlined the history of the use of electricity in transport, noting that the power source had actually preceded the use of petrol. But the extra range and convenience which petrol and the internal combustion engine provided was among the reasons it didn't continue to develop.
However, against today's background of concern about climate change and the fact that fossil fuels will run out, recent and continuing developments in electric power for transportation, along with rapid improvements in battery technology, make the electric car future viable.
"EVs are no longer a niche area," he said in his conclusion. "All the major carmakers have an EV strategy, electricity utilities are active in the area, standardisation issues are being addressed, and there are strong government supports and targets.
"There are a lot of opportunities for Ireland in this area, and we have to decide if we want to play a passive role, or be active in development, enterprise and learning."
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