Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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470. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the reason fuel merchants are required to collect information including MPRN from customers in the sale of solid fuels stoves while those outlets who do not sell fuel are not required to collect MPRN information; his views on whether such a requirement on fuel merchants places them at a commercial disadvantage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8033/14]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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All energy suppliers above a certain minimum threshold are required to achieve annual energy saving targets as part of Ireland’s compliance requirements under the Energy Efficiency Directive. The efficiency savings achieved by energy suppliers must be audited by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). To do this, SEAI must be capable of verifying the information provided by energy suppliers. For works carried out in the residential sector, MPRN numbers are required to identify the individual residence and ensure that credits are only claimed once for a particular measure in a particular residence.

Only energy suppliers are covered by the programme, and thus subject to audit and verification by the SEAI. I would emphasise that all energy suppliers, above the minimum threshold, are treated equally in that they are all required to collect relevant identification data. Accordingly, no commercial advantage or disadvantage arises.