Regina Doherty (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach for accommodating me. I wish to raise the situation relating to Panda exiting the energy market in recent weeks. It had some 60,000 customers. The customers who get their gas and electricity from Panda got a letter giving them less than ten days' notice to choose a new suppliers. The company did a deal with the regulator whereby the 60,000 people would be divided between two suppliers. If a customer did not arrange a new supplier within the ten days, his or her details would be handed to the new suppliers and there would be, in fairness, a seamless transition to the new supplier. However, there is no cooling-off period or 28 days' notice and no honouring of the contract customers had with Panda and the discounts they may have enjoyed in the context of electricity. Those contracts were ceased without compensation.

I do not know if any other Senators have tried to get through to an electricity provider recently but it is nigh on impossible. People are left on hold for days. I was contacted by a gentleman who managed to get through before the ten days were up and changed his contract to a particular energy company only to get a letter from Bord Gáis a couple of days later to say his account was now with Bord Gáis even though it was not the company he chose.There was no 28-day cooling off period and he is not allowed to change over. There has been no indication from Panda about why contracts have not been honoured. This gentleman had ten months left in his 12-month contract, with a decent discount on his electricity rate. Now he is being offered no electricity discount with the new rate.

I know the Deputy Leader will probably not know the answer to this but maybe we can talk to the Minister about it. Was GDPR legislation breached by giving 60,000 people's details to the new suppliers in an unauthorised way? Why does the 28-day cooling off period not allow them to change from the new supplier that Panda has brought to them? Most importantly, how in God's name is an energy company which announced millions of euro in profit yesterday allowed to cease contracts with 60,000 people in Ireland without any compensation or at least without negotiating through the regulator, which should be overseeing this and ensuring that the contracts were honoured by the two companies which have taken over the energy supply?