Lynn Boylan (Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Chair and all the speakers. I am going to pick up on a couple of questions that have already been asked. The first is to go back to the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, and the capacity to administer the scheme. I am going to repeat what Deputy Smith was saying, that we have heard from the CRU around concerns about resources. In December 2022, noteworthy.iereported that the CRU needed an additional 70 staff, and that was before the introduction of a windfall scheme. Is Mr. Hagan categorical in saying the CRU has the resources necessary to administer this windfall scheme?

On the engagement with stakeholders and how much they have influenced the design of this scheme, Irving Oil very clearly had huge concerns around this scheme, and I believe this is in the public domain. What we know from reports in the newspapers is that the scheme was adapted because of those concerns. Maybe the witnesses could elaborate on exactly what changes were made to the scheme on foot of Irving Oil making its concerns known to the Department?

My last point is for Mr. Walker. For clarity, when he said wholesale gas figures increased from June 2021 to August 2022 by, I think, 440%-----