Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin North Central, Labour)

I appreciate the Ceann Comhairle's office affording me the opportunity to raise this issue. I also welcome the Minister, Deputy Rabbitte, to the House to discuss this matter.

I do not normally raise matters concerning constituents on the floor of the House. However, a telephone call which I received last night from a distressed person distressed me so much I felt I had to raise this matter not alone on behalf of the person concerned but on behalf of all persons in Ireland who may be experiencing such financial constraints they cannot pay their bills.

My understanding was that the Minister had reached agreement with service providers that no essential service, be it electricity or gas, would be cut off from a household so long as a payment plan was in place. The person concerned is a working woman and single parent. Her electricity was cut off yesterday by Airtricity and she spent last night in a relative's house. She feels completely humiliated, dehumanised and shamed. That this company believed it had the power to disconnect electricity from her home, which she needs to keep her household going, is shameful. Perhaps the Minister will say if all service providers were party to the agreement reached with him. If not, is it his intention to bring all service providers around the table again to ensure this does not happen again?

I have a few specific questions for the Minister. Have other similar cases come across his desk or been received in his Department? I fear this is not an isolated incident. Also, is the Minister aware that Northern Ireland Electricity has since 1966 operated a zero disconnection policy for domestic customers, except where fraud is identified? Where domestic customers get into serious arrears a meter is installed in the home and a proportion of the money put into it goes towards paying off the arrears. This policy follows direction from the North's utility regulator, which viewed electricity supply as a health and safety issue. Does the Minister believe, as I do, that electricity supply is a health and safety issue? Does the energy regulator have an opinion on competing service providers who offer inducements to customers to switch providers and who then utilise small print to punish them when they find themselves unable to pay? Does the Minister or the energy regulator have an opinion as to the payment options offered to customers, which often restrict the capacity of some customers to pay, which is the situation in the case I have raised today?

I understand that the Minister cannot respond to each individual case raised by a constituent with a Member of this House. I raise this issue not on behalf of the person concerned but on behalf of all people throughout the country who may find themselves in a situation where they are unable to pay a utility bill. I heard today on "Liveline" of a woman who borrowed money from a moneylender and whose life is now fundamentally falling apart because of the pressure being put on her by that moneylender. People make unfortunate decisions when pressure is put on them. Does the Minister share my concern in regard to utility providers cutting off essential services to households and what in his opinion can be done about this in the short and long term?

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