Patrick Nulty (Dublin West, Labour)

That is correct.

As this is my maiden speech here, I thank the people of Dublin West and Swords who have lent me their votes to represent them here and assure them that I will work tirelessly on their behalf for so long as I remain here.

I am glad to speak on the energy Bill before us today. There are three aspects of it on which I want to focus: energy efficiency, what is called energy "theft" in the Bill and energy safety.

I very much welcome the provision to place in primary legislation energy efficiency obligations under the energy services directive. It is vital that electricity and gas providers play their part in helping to reduce energy demand. The best way to achieve such targets is through support measures which will achieve long-term savings such as better insulation and efficient appliances. Such long-term actions not only provide savings for the consumer but in the long term will help us as a country to meet our energy demand reduction targets. In that context, it is essential that the Better Energy Programme continues to be a priority for Government. The fact that one third of the total funding for the programme this year will go to addressing energy poverty is a welcome step in the right direction.

I very much look forward to the publication of the Government's energy affordability strategy. I hope the Minister and the Government will be cognisant of the representations made by organisations such as Age Action, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and the Energy Poverty Coalition. It is worth noting that investment in energy efficiency is a significant potential source for job creation here. The 100,000 local authority homes across the nation is an area where, if we were to improve energy efficiency and insulation, we could not only make it easier to meet the targets we set ourselves in legislation and the targets set by the European Union, but we would put many of the people back to work. I am sure Deputies from right across this House have received representations from tenants in local authority homes who, because of the funding mechanism within the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, cannot get important upgrades, for example, to double-glazed windows. I urge the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources to open dialogue with the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government to address that issue.

On the question of what is called energy "theft" in the Bill, there is no doubt that energy theft, which the Commission for Energy Regulation estimates costs €30 million per annum, can and should be reduced. Importantly, these savings that accrue must be passed on to the consumer; they should not be retained by the large utility companies.

It is vital that, in tandem with that, the updated measures outlined in the Bill are used with caution, diligence and responsibility. Coupled with that, it is essential that the measures to address fuel poverty are given equal weight and vulnerable households are given support and assistance in reducing their energy usage. Where there is energy theft or fraud, that must be dealt with and it is right that it is dealt with in the Bill, but that is part of a package of measures. Equally, I welcome previous assurances given by the Minister that no household will have its gas supply cut off this winter due to arrears. It is an important assurance and it should be welcomed on the floor of this House.

The measures on energy safety are important and it is good to see them being placed on a statutory footing. For example, the extension of gas safety provisions to the LPG sector will assist in protecting households which derive their energy from this source and improving safety provision. This is particularly important given that the Department has noted that fatalities have occurred in homes in recent years as a consequence of problems in this area and the legislative protocols that we are bringing forward in this Bill are vital in that respect.

I also welcome the provision to allow electrical investigation officers to investigate works carried out by unregulated contractors. This type of regulation is what is needed in this area and in many other aspects of public policy. It is something that has been lacking over the past decade or more under previous Administrations. I also welcome the fact that gas safety officers will be placed on an equal footing with their electrical investigation officer counterparts.

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