Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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129. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the level of engagement that has taken place with energy providers in respect of the cost of energy for households; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9378/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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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, 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, as the Deputy will appreciate, is an independent statutory regulator and is accountable for the performance of its functions, including more generally on the matter raised in this question, to the Oireachtas, and not to me as Minister. In this regard, I understand that the CRU appeared before Committee on Environment and Climate Action as recently as the 15th February to answer its questions on these and other matters.More broadly, and in view of the current pressures faced by households following the exceptional recent rise in international energy prices, I introduced The Electricity Costs (Domestic Electricity Accounts) Emergency Measures Bill 2022, that will provide for a credit payment, on a once off basis in 2022, to each domestic electricity account amounting to €200 (including VAT). This payment is part of a suite of policy measures announced by Government designed to give additional support households at this time, in addition to those already introduced. The payment is facilitated by the Distribution System Operator (ESB Networks) and electricity suppliers who are working with CRU on its operation.