Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)

This is my point and we are doing that. The process of examining the options is the correct choice. One should not rush into this like a headless chicken, slashing and demanding change. One should work through how to proceed in a way which maintains the various objectives and brings down prices consistently. A short-term decision could, in the long run, lead to higher electricity prices, which would be against the interests of Irish householders. That is why one is better to let the regulator work with the various companies involved in the area to come back with options from which the Government can make the call. That is our central policy objective and is the right approach in this area. It will bring down electricity prices. We know that is coming from the price of the raw materials. A proper, regulated and competitive market is the best way to extract every last cent of price reduction we can from the sector rather than making an initial decision that misses that opportunity.

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