Mary White (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)

The value and choice offered to consumers demonstrate that the Government's policy to encourage competition in energy markets is working.

I recognise that the carbon levy will pose a challenge for people in difficult financial circumstances who depend on fuel allowance to make their payments in the absence of alleviating provisions. I am confident that additional moneys will be made available to those dependent on the fuel allowance to stay warm this winter. I advise Deputies to watch this space.

We advise those who are in difficulty with their bills to contact their suppliers in order to make revised payment arrangements before they reach the point of disconnection. The Commission for Energy Regulation has announced that it will review the regulatory policy on disconnection in the context of improved customer protection, with a specific focus on how costs are allocated across the industry and to the customer. I acknowledge that some of the information we have heard regarding disconnection has been crude in the extreme.

I welcome Deputies' support for onshore renewable energy generation but I emphasise the importance of a stable regulatory environment for the investment needed in our energy infrastructure.

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