Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

I agree with the Deputy that the last thing one wants to hear about heading into the winter is an increase in energy prices. I acknowledge that and that some will be more severely affected than others. It is for this reason that I was happy to be able to negotiate with the energy companies an arrangement whereby no family in distress will be disconnected this winter provided it participates in a payment plan or agrees to have installed a pay-as-you-go meter. I hope this gives some comfort to some people who will be in difficulty.

With regard to monitoring the impact, it is a condition of the memorandum of understanding that there be a review of energy efficiency in the economy. This will be conducted by the International Energy Agency and it is likely to commence before the end of September. The agency is a reputable international body.

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