Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 330: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if legislation will be required to implement the commitment in the programme for Government to put the household benefits package out to tender. [18295/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The current programme for Government contains a commitment that: "The household benefits packages will be put out to tender, so that the Exchequer benefits from reduced prices."

The Chief State Solicitor's Office has advised that the Department of Social Protection does not have the right to approach the market to procure this energy from a single supplier because the Department is not actually procuring the electricity, gas or telephone service in the first instance.

This legal opinion is endorsed by both the Commission on Energy Regulation (CER) and the Competition Authority.

The Department is in ongoing negotiations with utility companies to achieve savings for the Department and to facilitate customers in taking advantage of the availability of reduced rates.