Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Question 39: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources when and how he will be authorised to issue directions to the energy regulator on matters of energy and electricity policy. [8284/05]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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Currently, I have certain limited statutory powers to give a policy direction or directions to the Commission for Energy Regulation, CER, solely in relation to electricity trading arrangements.

As is now common practice with other sectoral regulators, I propose, in line with Government policy and subject to Government approval, to take powers to issue policy directions of a general nature to the CER. Such a provision is included in the Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, which is currently being drafted by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel. This Bill is scheduled for publication in the second quarter of 2005.