Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I thank Ms MacEvilly for her two written responses to the committee. One was on energy demand growth in this country compared with the rest of the EU. It clearly shows that Ireland is a complete outlier in the context of energy growth demand. That was on the argument relating to data centres. The second was on the specifics about data centres and their connections. I really appreciate the answer, but it raises more questions. Rather than focus on that now, I will ask the committee to write back to Ms MacEvilly with my questions because the urgent matter we have to focus on is the energy demand for customers over the winter.

The CRU has made proposals. Considering the scale of the crisis, what the CRU is proposing is a bit piecemeal. That is not to be insulting. It is probably limited, but I want to ask a few question in respect of that limitation. If we acknowledge that there has been a complete failure in the energy market - prices have gone up when they should not have, profits were being made when they should not have been and so on - would the CRU be in a position to demand that over the winter months nobody will be disconnected and that the limited definition of what constitutes vulnerability will not apply? In other words, there should be no disconnection over the winter months and the moratorium should be extended to all household customers and businesses, particularly small businesses.

Would it be possible to extend the moratorium to prepay meters? Would it be possible to just say that people should not be disconnected if they fail to put money in their meters? Would it be possible for that instruction to be given by the CRU to the various companies?

It has come to our attention in the past week that many apartment dwellers live in areas with district heating systems. For some reason, the price per kW/h for gas for these people is at least three times higher than it would be for those of us here. There might be a technical explanation for that but these customers cannot switch. They cannot go onto bonkers.ie and switch around different companies because they live in buildings that are connected to district heating systems. The committee is constantly told that this is the future, that district heating is good for the environment and so on.

However, they are being left in a very difficult position. They cannot switch and are being charged more than anybody else. Can we find some way of putting them on a moratorium? When we look at the figures 250,000 people are in arrears for electricity and 148,000 households are in arrears already for gas bills. So this is a really serious crisis which we know and I argue that not enough is being done and that the extension of the moratorium must apply to everybody. In particular, we must consider what is happening with district heating systems. I am also told that the CRU does not regulate district heating companies. If not, why not? I ask because if there is no regulation then these over-the-top measures are imposed on people who live within them and if they are the future then where are we going?

On the question of vulnerability, we looked up the definition which showed two things. One, is where people are dependent on energy for disability equipment etc. The other day a 78-year-old person told me that she has stopped using her electric chair on her stairs because she is worried about using electricity. So she needs to register as vulnerable but does not realise that and people who use electric chairs, hoists or special equipment for their children think that if they turn on anything they will be in trouble. Dependency is definitely vulnerable. The other definition for vulnerability concerns age, mental health and all the rest. Is it not true to say that the definition for vulnerability could be extended way beyond those two restricted areas given the current crisis?

Lastly, can the CRU instruct all providers to put everybody on the most beneficial tariff rather than limiting it to only the vulnerable? Is it possible for the CRU to ask all of the suppliers to give people all of the most beneficial tariffs, ensure there are no disconnections over the winter and, in particular, let us consider prepaid and district heating?