Written answers
Tuesday, 14 May 2024
Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment
Electricity Generation
Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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139. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the extent to which electricity generation and production costs here are in line with those in other EU member states; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21840/24]
Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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In March ACER published their 2024 Market Monitoring Report which contains data through to the end of 2023. It provides a good overview of trends.
- Link to the report: www.acer.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/Publications/ACER_2024_MMR_Key_developments_electricity.pdf
- Link to the data: aegis.acer.europa.eu/chest/category/36/list
There are several other long-standing reasons why Irish electricity prices have been higher than those of many other EU countries, including our widely-dispersed population, our historic dependence on fossil fuels, the small size of our market and our peripheral location. The Government has adopted policies that in the long-term will protect Irish consumers from volatility in wholesale energy markets, by investing in renewable energy technology, improving the energy efficiency of buildings, and deepening interconnection with European energy markets.
The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) was assigned consumer protection functions under the 1999 Electricity Regulation Act and subsequent legislation and has statutory responsibility for the compliance by energy suppliers with their consumer protection obligations. The electricity and gas retail markets in Ireland operate within a European Union regulatory regime wherein electricity and gas markets are commercial and liberalised. Operating within this overall EU framework, responsibility for the regulation of the electricity and gas markets is solely a matter for the CRU.
CRU provides a dedicated email address for Oireachtas members, which enables them to raise questions on general energy regulatory matters to CRU at for timely direct reply
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