Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)

It is. Ministers should take an interest in that area. It should not be up to a regulator, notwithstanding the fact that the regulator has been busy in recent years ensuring that electricity and gas prices have been increased. The price increases relate to worldwide energy prices. We had this argument many years ago with Bord na Móna when prices increased from £16 per tonne to approximately £60 per tonne, which was quite an increase. The reason for this was the international fuel scarcity and fluctuations in the market. It was probably good from the point of view of Bord na Móna in respect of its viability but it was not good for the consumer. Likewise, in the case of the increases in recent years the poor unfortunate consumer has been left to the elements.

The Bill correctly deals with safety regulations in respect of installers and instructors in the gas and electricity industry. Those involved in installation in either industry must be top-class professionals who observe the rules and regulations. The key element is the level of inspection, as this dictates the degree to which standards are observed. Although I had doubts about some of these issues in the past, I welcome these aspects of the Bill.

A well-known installer of central heating informed me that a similar requirement, above and beyond standards applied heretofore, is in force in the central heating sector for reasons of energy efficiency and safety. Safety is an issue because there have been cases of boilers exploding. The domestic central heating sector has made considerable advances in the past ten years, with significant increases in efficiency achieved and stricter safety standards in place. As a result, significant savings can be achieved by homeowners and the owners of commercial premises, provided the highest possible safety and efficiency standards are applied.

I presume the health and safety regulations will address circumstances such as those that have arisen with regard to the Corrib gas pipeline, an issue which has occupied the minds of many people in recent years. As I have stated on previous occasions, it is essential that the highest possible health and safety standards apply to the extraction and conveyance of natural gas. Irrespective of the companies involved in transporting this product, they must all comply with the spirit and letter of the law, as every other citizen must do. No exceptions should be made and no corners cut in the provision of the infrastructure required for natural gas production and transport. Any attempt to do so would have a negative impact on the community at large and the development of the energy industry, particularly the natural gas sector. I am not apportioning blame but pointing out that some actions taken in the past were not carried out in the proper fashion or sequence. If they had been, we would not have reached the impasse in which we have found ourselves in recent years.

In the event that further major gas resources are identified, it would not make sense to repeat the nonsense of digging up trenches and laying pipes and then taking them up again or welding pipes together and then cutting them into shorter pieces. We must never again rush ahead without regard to compliance with regulations before admitting that it may have been preferable to have taken option X, Y or Z. We all know what should have been done.

Incidentally, the areas of mining, prospecting and oil and gas exploration are no longer new. These activities have taken place many times the world over and Ireland is no exception. For this reason, it is no longer excusable to argue that Ireland is in the early stages of developing these products. They are in development worldwide and we must avail of worldwide technology and observe optimum health and safety requirements when volatile products such as natural gas are being developed.

The merits of conferring further powers on the Commission for Energy Regulation are debatable but I will address them at a later stage. In general, however, the more power that is devolved from Ministers' offices to outside bodies, the less power the House has and the fewer the number of opportunities Members have to raise questions and have Ministers answer them in the House. It also gives the poor, over-worked Ceann Comhairle more opportunities to tell Members the Minister has no responsibility for certain matters. I could paper the walls of my house with the number of letters I received from the Ceann Comhairle in recent days informing me that certain questions I have raised are matters for the Commission for Energy Regulation. I have since discovered that this Bill confers powers on the CER which the Ceann Comhairle believed it already enjoyed. Is that not a quare conundrum? How would the Acting Chairman, Deputy Cowley, deal with that matter?

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