Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)

When I tabled the issue, it included the words "and the need to ensure the protection of Irish jobs", which is my purpose in raising it. I tabled this on behalf of Solas, an Irish-owned company that manufactures light bulbs. The company contacted me and numerous other Members, including the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the Taoiseach, because it has been excluded from the latest discussions on the future of the lighting industry. Representatives of the company wrote to the Minister in this regard. I tabled this matter last week but it was not selected for discussion, following which the Minister and Department had a change of heart and officials met Solas representatives earlier this week.

However, the Minister's approach to the phasing out of light bulbs is still a significant problem. He made this announcement last year. Solas is the only Irish company manufacturing light bulbs. It is 70 years old and it employs people in Clondalkin and Belfast. A total of 10% of its output comprises CFL bulbs. The company caters for approximately 50% of the domestic lighting market. Management and staff have serious concerns about how the proposal to phase out energy inefficient lighting is approached. They have raised concerns with the Minister, immediately writing to him when he made his announcement last December. Having written to him repeatedly over many months, he met them, but they had a difficult time securing a meeting with him. However, he has been unable to tell them the energy standards that will be imposed in January 2009. Having met him again earlier this week, they are still not sure. A ban on all bulbs of 60 watts and greater, which comprise 60% of the current market, is a possibility.

Solas and other lighting companies say it will not be possible to achieve this by January 2009. If the Minister presses ahead with this, shelves could be empty because there will not be enough light bulbs. People who have dimmer switches will be unable to use them because CFL bulbs are not adaptable to such switches and other light fittings may not be adaptable. The market could face significant difficulty and demand may be met by cheap imports, some of which will be of poor quality and could result in electrocution. Hardship will be cause to those who cannot afford to replace their light fittings or the new CFL bulbs because they are much more expensive.

All the lighting industry wants is the Minister to introduce this measure in a fair way by ensuring proper consultation in order that it can plan ahead. Companies have not been informed what are the standards. Figures are thrown out regularly but the Minister is trying to save face and do as much as possible by January 2009. He does not care about Irish jobs, the impact on pensioners or people who have to replace light fittings because they will be unable to purchase the light bulbs they need.

In addition, his proposal is illegal. Under EU law, he is not entitled to do what he says he is entitled to do. I have received correspondence from the European Commission, which states he cannot implement the ban as he proposes. As a solicitor, I know he cannot do it. However, the Minister is only interested in the public relations element of the proposal and the fact that he can say he was the first to ban traditional light bulb. He does not care about the impact of the ban. He refers to consultation but he is not consulting properly. Only when this matter was tabled on the Adjournment last week and this week did the Minister re-engage with the only Irish company manufacturing light bulbs.

I have no problem with phasing out energy inefficient light bulbs and the general consensus is that it is a worthy proposal, as long as it is implemented fairly. The EU announced such a proposal long before the Minister and it should be implemented as fairly as the EU provided for. The Union is consulting the industry and the public. It proposes phasing out light bulbs over a number of years to allow companies to adapt. A product cannot be unilaterally banned without allowing companies to adapt and purchase the machinery needed to manufacture the new product. The Minister must stop being unreasonable about this matter. He should consult properly and take people's concerns into account and do this in a way that is not illegal, according to European Commission law.

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