Ms Aoife MacEvilly:

I thank the Deputy. I will start and will then hand over to my colleagues. In terms of Panda Power and the supplier of last resort, it is unfortunate for customers that we are losing suppliers in the energy market at the moment. It is a sign of the intense pressure the energy sector is under. We have never had a supplier of last resort event in Ireland prior to this. They can be common. There have been quite a number in the UK over the last number of years and I think in the range of 30 in the last year. We have seen these events happen across Europe because the challenge for suppliers is that they are also facing these really high and volatile energy prices. Suppliers have to go out and spend more money to hedge for their customers, to post collateral to buy gas and electricity. It is putting pressure on a number of the smaller suppliers in the market, Panda Power being the latest one. That is broadly what Panda Power has told us in terms of it decision to exit the market. That is why we have a supplier of last resort process. It is in place through legislation and then through processes we have developed with the network operators and suppliers of last resort to ensure that where this happens there is protection for customers and security of supply in that they will be automatically transferred to a supplier of last resort with no discontinuity in supply.

We have done this to ensure that, where such a situation arises, there is protection for customers and security in their supply, in that they will automatically be transferred to a supplier of last resort with no discontinuity in supply. Overall, it is not good for competition because the more suppliers we have actively competing in various ways and offering different types of products to customers, the better it is for customers. We continue to work with all suppliers in the market. We will continue to ensure that, at the end of this crisis, we will have a competitive market that delivers value and choice for customers.

I might ask Ms Trant to address some of the other points that the Deputy raised, after which Dr. McGowan will discuss the offshore safety regime.