Mark Wall (Labour) | Oireachtas source

It is good to see the Deputy Leader in the chair today. I will bring up a number of worrying cases I have been involved in or am currently dealing with that have regard to utility companies whose customers have contacted me. In one case, I spent a number of days over the Christmas holidays helping a family whose power had been cut off despite a moratorium on this happening. Those days with that family were spent going from one power provider to another as each blamed the other and insisted it was the other company's fault. In the middle was a family with a very sick child who had done no wrong. Indeed, they had listened to all of those advocating that it was wise and economical to change provider, which is exactly what they did. However, nobody told them that there would be nobody available over the Christmas period should the transfer not go smoothly or that the code needed to complete the transfer would not be provided by one company, which blamed the other company. That is what happened over those two to three days during the Christmas period. We can be thankful that, after many phone calls, the problem was solved. It is a serious problem.

I mention the blame game because I am dealing with two further cases in which customers changed supplier around the time of the Government's €200 credit. These customers still have not received that State assistance. Once again, the two utility companies are blaming each other, stating that it is the other's problem and that it should be providing the €200 while two customers are left without that State assistance. It is simply wrong and I ask that the Minister come before the House to debate this issue. I have spoken to other public representatives about it and it seems to be a problem when people switch suppliers. As I have said, it is a problem that ends up in a blame game.

I also seek a debate with the new Minister for Defence. Reading an article in The Journalyesterday, I learned that two more ships are to be tied up at the naval base in Haulbowline in Cork because there are simply not enough sailors to man them. The Department of Defence has confirmed that the LÉ Róisínand LÉ Niamhwill not go on patrol due to the crippling staff retention and recruitment crisis in the Defence Forces. Sources have said that the decision to mothball the ships was made last week at a high-level meeting of Department of Defence civil servants and senior officers in the Defence Forces. Those sources also said that it is understood that the remaining members of the ships' crews have yet to be told of the move, which is very worrying. As we know, two new ships are on their way from New Zealand. There are questions to be asked as to how we are going to staff those two new ships. I ask that the Minister for Defence come before us so that we can ask about what is happening with the new report and where it sits and, most importantly, so that we can discuss what is happening with our Defence Forces. I ask that such a debate be facilitated as quickly as possible.