Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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113. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the role that the Commission for Regulation of Utilities plays in the setting of gas and electricity unit prices and in the setting of standing charges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36177/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Operating within an overall EU framework, responsibility for the regulation of these markets is solely a matter for the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU), the independent energy regulator. The CRU was assigned responsibility for this following the enactment of the Electricity Regulation Act (ERA), 1999.

In line with long standing policy on deregulating price setting, CRU ended its regulation of retail prices, in the electricity market in 2011, and in the gas market in 2014.

Furthermore, the CRU has a dedicated email address for members of the Oireachtas to contact them oireachtas@cru.ie for timely replies.

Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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114. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the regulatory and oversight responsibilities of the Commission for Regulation of Utilities in the energy market; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36179/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Commission for Regulation of Utilities was established as an independent statutory regulator by the Electricity Regulation Act 1999, enhanced under the Gas (Interim) (Regulation) Act 2002 and the Water Services (No.2), Act 2013. The Commission is responsible for (1) regulation and reform of the electricity market, including the licensing of new entrant generators and suppliers; (2) regulation of the natural gas market (3) security of supply, customer protection, upstream and downstream gas and electrical safety (4) economic regulation of water services.

The CRU is legally independent in the performance of its functions and is entirely accountable to the Oireachtas for such performance.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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115. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the estimated annual cost that will be added to household electricity bills to cover the cost of acquiring 450 MW of additional electricity generation capacity, as per the provisions of the EirGrid, Electricity and Turf (Amendment) Bill 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36182/22]