Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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We will need to continue to monitor Covid as the Minister for Health said during the week. What the Deputy said is true; buses are starting to fill up. The numbers using public transport are rising significantly on the back of the end of the Covid pandemic, but also as a result of lower fares. Many bus services are not providing the reliable services that we expect. It is the role of the National Transport Authority and my Department to ensure that they do. This has included the issuing of fines for companies which have not applied. Many of the difficulties have related to the ability to get drivers. We are considering further measures for how we can help to support and facilitate that. I absolutely accept it is not satisfactory particularly when buses do not turn up on schedule and people are left at the stop which can also lead to buses being over-full. We need to change that.

The issue of prepay meters is complex. There are different circumstances for gas and electricity. Different types of meters are involved. There are also different types of customers. Many people are using prepay meters because it provides a very useful service. It is a very attractive way to manage paying and for many people reducing energy use and their bills. The complexity of that is that a number of different companies are involved. Not every company uses prepay meters but those that do have a variety of tariffs, often better and innovative tariffs to support customers. The standing charge and the per-use charge vary because suppliers try to attract customers with that. There is an issue with those who are in difficulty. We need to address that and the CRU has done a lot of work already.

Included in that is the requirement to ensure that those who are in difficulty are not paying the highest charges. As we go through this winter, we will try to ensure that the discounted tariffs are made available to those most in need of them as well as other supports. In two weeks' time we will publish an energy action plan which will outline further measures that we may seek to deliver in conjunction with the CRU. We are doing considerable work monitoring the consumer protection measures. We will not rest with whatever is there. It means looking at it and ensuring we adjust if people are left in difficulties. We do not want anyone disconnected this summer, least of all those at risk of fuel poverty who do not have the heat and the power that they need.

Officials from my Department are meeting both suppliers and the NGOs to understand the issues on the ground. The CRU is working with the NGO representative group to ensure we apply the best solutions here. There is no lack of commitment to getting households through a difficult winter.