Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is not the Government which has introduced this charge; therefore, I do not accept the way the Deputy has framed the issue. It appears the companies are taking the opportunity presented by the new legislation to change the standing charges. What I have made very clear is that this is not acceptable to the Government; it is not acceptable to the Minister, Deputy Simon Coveney, and, if necessary, regulations will be introduced to assure and reassure consumers that charges will not go up in the way the Deputy has described. Not one person has yet been charged and it is the intention of the Government to ensure the legislation is not abused in any way. In its spirit it is the right direction to take and, in fact, will lead to lower charges for households. That is the intention behind the legislation. If it is being abused or exploited by private companies in what is a competitive market, what I am saying clearly to the Deputy is that the Minister will take action before 1 July when the new regime is due to come into place.

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