Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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163. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the powers he used to direct the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities to use the 2009 special dividend from the ESB to subsidise the electricity bills of large energy users. [29462/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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In 2009, the Government approved the taking of a special dividend from ESB and the then Commission for Energy Regulation (CER), now the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU), was tasked with implementing this decision through the mechanism of the network tariffs.

It is important to note that the CRU was established as an independent statutory regulator by the Electricity Regulation Act 1999 and enhanced under the Gas (Interim) (Regulation) Act 2002 and the Water Services (No.2), Act 2013.

In 2009 the Large Energy User (LEU) Customer Credits were introduced as a result of Government concern about the impact of energy prices on LEUs competitiveness given their substantial contribution to employment.

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

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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When Circular 25/2016 was issued it was brought to the attention of all bodies under the aegis of my Department. My officials have also written to all relevant Bodies in the interim, most recently in February this year, to remind them of their obligations under the Circular.

However, I have no role in assessing the level of compliance in the bodies and as such, I do not have details of the compliance by each of the relevant bodies with each of the standards and timelines set out in responding to Oireachtas Members’ queries.

I would point out that the bodies under the aegis of my Department are committed to providing an efficient, timely, professional, and courteous service to all of their customers.

State Bodies provide and maintain a dedicated email address for Oireachtas members and the relevant contacts for the bodies under the aegis of my Department were given in reply to Question No. 149 of 1 June 2023.