Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

I agree with the Deputy that the supplier companies have shown an understanding of current circumstances and, in the case of some small and medium enterprises, SMEs, energy costs are particularly onerous in terms of their running costs. In addition, I was happy to put in place the protocol for domestic users where there was an undertaking that there would not be disconnections during the winter provided people eithered install a meter or signed up to a pay plan. Where there has been a take-up of these options, the approach has been very successful.

The Deputy is correct that energy costs weigh heavily on many SMEs. The planned scheme by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, to which I referred, is worthy and will prove useful to SMEs. The SMEs which have participated have pointed to the impact it has had on their operating costs. There is a great deal of room for greater energy efficiency in SMEs throughout the country. That is the area in which savings can be made and businesses can thrive as a result. The SEAI scheme has shown a capacity to leverage private sector funding also. I would like to be in a position to put more money into the scheme but in current circumstances that is very difficult. However, it is one of the options we are considering because it would make a significant contribution for many SMEs which find the energy component of their costs very difficult, given current world market prices.

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