Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank our guests for coming before us. My colleague, Deputy O'Sullivan, quite correctly pointed out the disparity between Electric Ireland's profits and its hardship fund. As a State-owned company that is giving back all the profits to the State in the first place, for reinvestment by the State, it is necessary to highlight that €3 million is a drop in the ocean and consideration should be given to increasing that fund. That should be done promptly.

I want to know the answers to some technical questions on the overall price of the product Electric Ireland is offering, both gas and electricity. Has it worked out the impact of the proposal to decouple the gas market from the electricity market and what impact that might have on its customers?

My second question relates to the variable, that is, the standing charge that goes from company to company across gas and electricity. As we found out recently, these are not determined by the CRU. They are in fact determined by individual companies. In that sense, again, as a State-owned company, consideration should be given to standardising that charge, lowering it or eradicating it. That would show to Irish consumers that, as a State entity, Electric Ireland is only interested in supplying a product, whether it is electricity or gas, with the State in mind. Of course, profits will be made. I am not suggesting that the standing charge is the basis for the company's profit; it is not. On that basis, consideration should be given to it.

Another question relates to the CRU proposal for peak-time rates, that is, charges would be increased from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and lowered for the rest of the day as a result. Has Electric Ireland factored in any consideration of that in respect of the consumer price Irish people will have to pay should such a measure be brought in?