Paddy Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I would like to be associated with the vote of sympathy for the late Member of Dáil Éireann. Noel Treacy was an excellent contributor in this House as well and attended here on a regular basis. He was always very cheerful. I wish to extend my sympathy to his wife and family.

I wish to raise an issue with the Leader, namely, the recent huge increase in ESB bills and the ever-present public service charge that still features on every single bill issued. The public service charge was brought in to extend the service to remote and rural areas. There are not that many remote or rural areas nowadays because as the population has dramatically increased over the last 50 years, the service has been provided to nearly single corner of the country. Anybody who seeks an ESB connection must now pay a hefty price to the ESB yet the public service charge is still being paid.

I would ask that the public service charge be examined. I suggest that it could be used to pay a loan to the householder or householders to install solar panels or do something of that nature on their premises. I ask that the Leader invites the Minister responsible for energy to come into this House to debate these issues. We must ensure that the public service charge is not just added to the bill but that is pays for something or be used to pay a loan to retrofit houses by installing solar panels or some energy-saving mechanism.It seems to me that the public service charge is an extra charge that is taken for granted and included in the householder's bill month after month. I ask that we have a debate on it.