Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)

I am absolutely aware of the disconnection and the fuel poverty issues. I am also aware that competition has helped our consumers by driving prices down and we want to keep that up. We want to see the competition that we have introduced continue to work. Deputy McManus has been saying that we want to see the ESB get into that competition to get these companies fighting each other in order to bring prices down.

In making sure such competition was possible, the ESB and the regulator agreed that they would rebrand the company's supply business as part of that move towards a more competitive market. It is the ESB cost estimate of €6-8 billion that I am quoting. Having looked at the estimates, the regulator stated that it would not be put on the price to consumers. The benefits we get in competition are a multiple of any such cost effect.

I do not know why the figure in respect of Bord Gais came up in the debate held at the committee, but there is nothing in the regulatory process that is forcing a rebranding exercise that would cost that kind of money. That is a matter for Bord Gais and its representatives, who came out with the figure in the committee hearing. It is not coming from the regulatory process.

Competition works here. It has delivered significant reductions to the Irish public. This will help it further. The regulator is given the job to manage a competitive regulated market. He is doing it well and that is the right approach for the Government to take. We should let the regulators and the company work out the finer details of how competition of how competition works.

See this speech in context