Ms Marian Troy:

Carbon tax and increasing costs for consumers were mentioned, as was the debate between penalising and incentivising customers. In truth, what we have at present is probably a bit of a mix of both. We are heartened to hear the increased carbon tax revenues will be recycled to help customers to reduce their bills because showing people the avenues by which they can reduce their carbon consumption is the real way we will decarbonise.

We are very heartened by how the Citizens' Assembly was supportive of the carbon tax measure and decarbonisation. With the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland we have been working with our suppliers to engage with customers on insulating homes, upgrading boilers and so on. A number of suppliers are involved in providing microgeneration facilities to customers, including ourselves. The new smart metering projects will give customers more control. The ethos is that these tools will allow them to reduce their carbon consumption. There is probably a job for all of us to communicate that this is the behavioural change these policy instruments are designed to drive.

A question was asked about cross-Border agencies and how the Good Friday Agreement has created this framework. We see in the single electricity market that the structures we have created are what have enabled the market of which we are all supportive. To answer the question as to what politicians can do to help on this, it is to remain committed to it and the various policy instruments that support it, such as carbon pricing.