Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

I will indeed ensure the regulator is fully cognisant of the contents of that report. There is a long way to go on the analysis of whether any price increase in warranted. The main drivers in international gas prices are the euro-sterling exchange rate, network costs and volume consumption trends. The weak euro may indeed have assisted many of our SMEs in exporting from the country in recent times, but it works the other way when importing fossil fuels such as gas and oil. That has been an issue.

I assure the Deputy that I will bring that report to the attention of the regulator. I have already communicated my views to the regulator, especially in so far as they relate to protecting the most vulnerable in our society. The regulator reports that there has been a very good uptake in "pay as you go" meters and that the fears last winter about disconnections and so on largely did not materialise. The protocols we put in place at the time - no disconnections provided the customer signs up to a pay plan or installs a "pay as you go" meter - have been quite effective. I would like a faster rate of uptake of the meters and I hope that takes place between now and the beginning of the winter.

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