Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)

Perhaps I can put the question another way. The situation is puzzling. The reason there has been a drop of 10% in electricity prices is because of the deferral of charges. The Minister of State said in his response that there would not be a further reduction in October. Where then do we get the benefit of the reduction in oil prices? Gas prices are tied in with oil prices and there has been a significant drop in oil prices, as can be seen at the petrol pumps. We were told before that the reason we did not see a corresponding drop in electricity prices was because of the way energy operators acquire their oil and gas. This is no longer sustainable because we have long passed the six-month period. When will we see the benefit of the drop in oil prices in electricity bills?

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