Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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137. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he can detail proposals to increase the staff numbers and expertise working in the Commission for Regulation of Utilities specifically in order to deal with the administration of a proposed windfall energy tax on profits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19786/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Council Regulation (EU) 2022/1854 on an emergency intervention to address high energy prices came into force in October 2022. This Regulation seeks to address windfall gains in the energy sector through a temporary solidarity contribution based on taxable profits in the fossil fuel production and refining sector and a cap on market revenues of specific generation technologies in the electricity sector. A General Scheme of the Energy (Windfall Gains in the Energy Sector) Bill 2023, which will implement the temporary solidarity contribution and the cap on market revenues, was approved by Government and published on 21 March.

On 22 November 2022, it was decided by Government that the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) will administer the cap on market revenues as part of the implementation of Council Regulation (EU) 2022/1854 on an emergency intervention to address high energy prices. The administration of the cap on market revenues, including resourcing, is a matter for CRU.