Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

168. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will report on the staffing levels in the Commision for Regulation of Utilities, and their salaries, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26332/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) is an independent regulator, accountable to a committee of the Oireachtas and not the Minister. The CRU was assigned responsibility for the regulation of the Irish electricity sector, following enactment if the Electricity Regulation Act 1999 and subsequent legislation.

While CRU is financed by means of a levy on regulated entities, it must receive approval from the Minister of Environment, Climate & Communications and the Minister of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery & Reform, in consultation with the Department of Housing Local Government & Heritage, for staffing levels.

The latest such approval has been given, in full, for the CRU three-year workforce plan, which includes 74 new whole time equivalent positions to meet its objectives under the Strategic Plan 2022-2024.

The average number of staff working in the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) at the end of 2021 was 109, at a cost of €8.436 million (payroll and non-payroll costs), funded by industry levy. These are the last published numbers and costs. Figures in respect of 2022 will be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas shortly.

A breakdown of the costs, extracted from the CRU Annual Report 2021, is set out in the following table:

The CRU provides a dedicated email address for Oireachtas members at oireachtas@cru.ie, which enables them to raise more specific operational and resourcing matters directly to the CRU.