Dr. Paul McGowan:

To answer Deputy Michael Moynihan's question on registered gas installers, we take seriously any allegation of substandard work by a gas installer. If the work is carried out by a registered installer, it can be reported to the Register of Gas Installers of Ireland, RGII, which will initiate a disciplinary process against the installer concerned and an investigation will be carried out to determine whether the complaint is substantive. If the complaint concerns an unregistered installer who has carried out legally defined gas works, particularly in the domestic arena, this is a criminal offence. If we hear of such an incident, we will investigate it and if we find evidence, we will prosecute. We have pursued a small number of prosecutions since we were given these powers three years ago and been successful each time.

On the wider question of whether there is a black market of unregistered installers, we have no definitive statistics, but we always have that concern. We address the issue in three ways. First, we invest considerable resources in trying to make the public aware that, from a safety perspective, only registered gas installers should carry out work in their homes. We advertise in print, on radio and television, particularly during the heating season, to reinforce this message. Second, we prosecute where we find out that people are carrying out illegal gas works and, through the RGII, initiate disciplinary procedures against those who do not carry out work in accordance with the standards laid down. Third, connections to the gas network will only be made by Bord Gáis Networks if a conformance certificate has been issued to show the works have been carried out by a registered gas installer.