Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Minister did not address my questions about the roll-out of pay-as-you-go meters or price invigilation. Given the general uselessness of the Commission for Energy Regulation during the years, is there not a strong case to be made for some controls in this regard? In a recent speech the Tánaiste spoke about increasing prices and the sudden appearance of bills which families could not pay. The reality is that many of these bills are imposed by the Minister, Deputy Pat Rabbitte, and his colleagues in the form of the property tax, the 50% increase in waste management charges, promised water charges and so on. What we are seeing is a hugely increasing forest of utility bills and a Minister who is not taking any action to control prices in the areas within his remit.

See this speech in context