Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)

That is where the company should be but I did not say I would move it there. The Deputy is basically saying he will cry for consumers and those being hit by high electricity prices but we should not ask him to upset members of the trade unions in the ESB by asking them to shift a little ground and allow the competitive market we need to come about. As Deputy Eamon Ryan noted, a competitive market can be achieved in generation by allowing more operators into the system, making the market sufficiently attractive and increasing efficiency in areas of the ESB that have been slow to become more efficient.

I do not propose to accept the amendments as they would be in conflict with the Electricity Regulation Act 1999 and Statutory Instrument No. 445.

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