Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am on the precincts. We are all aware that people are struggling because of energy prices. There has been much talk of customer offerings, but the provision of energy is an essential service for living. Do we need to place more emphasis on the service aspect compared with that of consumption? I ask that because I am especially mindful of the challenges we are facing in respect of security, transmission and emissions. Given the scale of what we are facing in the context of climate and emissions, we need a radical rethink regarding energy provision being a public service rather than a market commodity.

I note that the CRU was devised at a time when circumstances were very different to those we are facing now, with this existential threat from climate change and the commensurate need to radically reduce our emissions. What I am asking, and this is a bit like asking a turkey to vote for Christmas, given the threat human civilisation is facing, is whether we need to move to cut our emissions radically or to return to the idea of the provision of energy being an essential public service rather than just a market commodity. I ask that given what is at stake. We all need energy, and not as a luxury but just to survive. Do we need this type of radical re-envisioning and reimagining in the context of energy provision? If so, does the CRU have a role in this regard or is it past its sell-by date?