Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 322: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the stage of preparation of the electricity Bill; when he expects same to return to the Government's legislative programme; if the delay in bringing forward the electricity Bill will have implications for commercial and strategic decision making at the ESB; if the ESB will be permitted to bring forward a new generation plant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6801/06]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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The draft heads of the electricity Bill to provide for the conversion of the ESB to PLC status are being progressed and the timeframe for its re-instatement on the Government's legislative programme will be kept under review during the year. I do not consider that the revised timetable for the Bill has implications for commercial or strategic decision making by the ESB. Key regulatory and restructuring issues, including market opening measures, universal service obligations and regulation by the CER of the ESB's tariffs which had been earmarked for the Bill have been separately implemented by statutory instrument.

The question of the ESB being permitted to bring forward new generation plant is a separate matter and has to be looked at in the context of the company's dominance in the power generation sector and the overall structure of the electricity sector. I recently received the final report on the electricity sector from Deloitte & Touche and it is currently being considered in the context of the energy policy paper which is being drawn up by my Department.