Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the discussion on this report and I also welcome the members of the APHCI in the Visitors' Gallery, who have done tremendous work in bringing this matter to the floor of Dáil Éireann. I have met with them a number of times over the past year or two. Last January we met in the Fitzgerald Hotel in a meeting attended by more than 200 plumbers. The frustration they outlined on the floor of the meeting was clear for all to see. They have been harping on about this issue for a long time, and I am glad the Oireachtas committee took up the case, because this issue had been dismissed by various people, including the Commission for Energy Regulation, with which we engaged in 2013 and 2014 to try to resolve the many issues. Various State bodies and organisations were in charge of policing the market.

There was frustration among APHCI members and plumbers right throughout the country at what was, and possibly still is, happening with regard to unsupervised and unregulated people installing gas boilers, which is a very dangerous issue. I thank the chairman of the Joint Committee on Transport and Communications for allowing us to drive this through the committee with a full and frank discussion which related to all stakeholders. One of the best debates we had was a joint debate between the Commission for Energy Regulation and the APHCI, which dealt with what was outstanding and what were the key issues. One side laid its cards on the table and the other side came in the following day.

It is very important that an independent expert look at the issue, but one thing that was highlighted throughout the process was the question of whether the Commission for Energy Regulation had enough legislative powers to police this market. That is the crux of the issue, because everybody was passing the issues from one to the other, whether they were related to regulation, registration or anything else. The Act goes back almost ten years to 2006, and the Minister spoke about it, but we must ask if it is strong enough to deal with situations in which something goes wrong with the installation of a gas boiler or there is an accident or a tragedy. As politicians, we would all be clamouring for answers as to what should be done in such an event.

The Minister said other Departments had responsibility for certain aspects of the matter, but every piece of legislation that comes before Dáil Éireann affects every Department. It is vitally important that the Commission for Energy Regulation and the other Departments have the proper legislative tools to deal with these issues. It is important that this is moved on and not left simply as a recommendation of a joint committee. In my private discussions with the APHCI and the Commission for Energy Regulation during the summer of 2013 and 2014, it became clear that there was a shortcoming in what it could do. It will be necessary to have an interdepartmental input into legislation, but every other piece of legislation goes through the same process. As legislators, we are able to ensure the matter is followed through, and I ask the Minister to ensure that this happens.

There were other recommendations, such as those relating to home insurance, and we need to ensure that there are safeguards. Everybody needs to ensure they deal with professional people. The people who install gas boilers are extremely qualified and professional people. If people who are not properly trained and not competent install gas boilers, it is to the detriment of society in the long run, so all steps have to be taken. Would an insurance company insure a non-qualified driver on the roads?

It is as simple as that. The insurance industry must look at this. As I have said, at all times those involved from the APHCI have been absolutely professional in the amount of work they have done to bring this to our attention, as public representatives, and to bring it to the committee. It is a voluntary organisation. The amount of work they have done behind the scenes with the committee and the work they continue to do is remarkable. They have to be applauded in that regard. Sometimes, representative groups do not undertake the hard work, but these people did the hard work, although they all have their own jobs to do as well.

The point on insurance is something we have to consider. This is a solid report. The APHCI is very happy with the report and with the amount of publicity and time it is getting not only in the committee but in Dáil Éireann. We must ensure the recommendations are followed through. There is no point in letting it sit. Again, I call on the Minister to look at the insurance issue.

We can look at everything in the report and all the recommendations. What has happened since the report was produced? I know the Chairman is going to brief the Dáil shortly in respect of what has happened. The Oireachtas must be completely satisfied that the Commission for Energy Regulation is empowered with the proper tools to ensure that gas boilers and installations, whether they are domestic, commercial or industrial, are fitted to the highest possible standard and that there is a regulatory framework and a policing authority to ensure this is the case. It cannot be passed from Billy to Jack and from Jack to Billy. That will only lead to further frustrations. We have to be satisfied. We have examined the matter and the recommendation is clear.

Judging by what the Minister has said, this proposal would have an impact on a number of other headings. That is the way with all legislation, but I believe the Minister has accepted in his remarks that the Commission for Energy Regulation can only do the job that the Oireachtas empowers it to do. The commission may have shortcomings in other areas in respect of energy prices and so forth, but that is a debate for another day. Let us suppose I took only one of the recommendations and tried to ensure its implementation. I would ensure that when the representatives of the Commission for Energy Regulation sit down in front of the APHCI people at any future meetings, the commission is able to make the case that it has the framework to police what the APHCI is looking for. The APHCI is looking for something that is for the betterment and the security of society. Therefore, as legislators, we must ensure that the commission is empowered in that regard.

Again, I thank those involved in the APHCI for the work they have done and the time they gave me to discuss all aspects of this issue. I thank the plumbers who met in the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel in January. More than 200 plumbers met on a Tuesday afternoon when they had 101 different things to do. The concerns they raised and the passion with which they spoke on the issues are to be commended. I commend them on the amount of work they have done in the past two or three years since this issue first arose. They have continued to apply pressure to try to get it onto the floor of the Dáil. Now, we have to take it on to the next level. I call on the Minister to ensure that proper legislation is put in place to empower the regulatory bodies and ensure they have the power to implement this for the betterment of society.

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