Jim Higgins (Fine Gael)

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."

The regulation of the electrical contracting sector in Ireland has been the cause of considerable controversy for some years. Concerns over poor standards and the possibility of increased injury or damage to property caused by shoddy workmanship led to a voluntary initiative between the then Department of Energy, the Electricity Supply Board and the electrical contracting associations in the early 1990s. That resulted in the establishment of the Register of Electricity Contractors of Ireland, RECI, which carries out a regulatory function for its members. A second body, the Electrical Contractors' Safety and Standards Association, ECSSA, was established subsequently and also aims to regulate safety standards among such contractors.