Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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164. To ask the Minister for Finance if there is provision for the hotel industry during the Covid-19 pandemic in terms of annual standing charges (details supplied). [2947/21]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The electricity and gas retail markets in Ireland operate within a European Union regulatory regime wherein electricity and gas markets are commercial, liberalised, and competitive. Operating within this overall EU framework, responsibility for the regulation of the electricity and gas markets, including the matters raised by the Deputy, is solely a matter for the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU), which was assigned responsibility for the regulation of the Irish electricity and gas markets following the enactment of the Electricity Regulation Act (ERA), 1999.

The CRU is an independent statutory Regulator and is accountable for the performance of its functions to the Oireachtas, and not to me as Minister or Government.

The Deputy may wish to note that CRU provides a dedicated email address for Oireachtas members, which enables them to raise questions on energy regulatory matters to CRU at oireachtas@cru.ie for timely direct reply.