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

This is fascinating stuff and there have been very good submissions from everyone. I do not know enough about it to be able to challenge any of it but I do not think it is challengeable. It is very interesting and positive. It does look like it will be the future for heating buildings, particularly in the context of the measures we have to take to reduce our emissions, and it is very exciting.

My concern is a bit different. I am concerned by what happened here last winter when the price of energy went through the roof. Most of us saw 50% to 60% increases, but those with homes in district heating systems, and the Minister told me in a reply to a recent parliamentary question that there are about 11,000 in Ireland, saw an increase of around 300% in their energy bills. The usual regulation or limitations do not apply to them. They cannot shop around to get costs brought down, as we are all told to do, as it does not apply to them and they are not covered by the same protections as other households. They are not protected from being cut off because they are registered as a vulnerable customer, for instance. I asked several times about the role of the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU. I believe the CRU has a certain role since last February but it does not seem to have any role that is meaningful. It is very concerning.

If this is the future and the way we need to go to reduce emissions, then like everything, we have to bring people with us. We cannot leave them behind. This will definitely leave people behind if we do not get our act together and set about changing it and giving proper regulation, whether to the CRU or another body. Somebody has to be able to regulate it, to regulate the price and the suppliers and to give certain freedoms and space to the customers so they can feel they are being treated the same as everyone else. The constituency I represent is full of apartments that are run on district heating systems and it is also full of homes like mine that are not. The letters I received from people about the bills they received last winter were just unbelievable. I was left open mouthed that this could happen but it turns out it is happening because the CRU has no regulatory role over this. That is something this committee needs to look at, to bring to the Minister's attention and to change. I am serious about this because we want to see our emissions come down but we must bring people with us. It is like saying there will be no just transition. District heating sounds really exciting from what the scientists and the experts here today have said but we must address this.