Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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120. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the current levels of staffing in the Commission for Communications Regulation; the current number of vacant positions; and the total target workforce. [29868/24]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) may determine the number, grading, remuneration and other conditions of service of staff – subject to the consent of the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications and the Minister for Public Expenditure and National Development Plan, and Reform, as per Section 20(3) of the Communications Regulation Act, 2002. ComReg currently has sanctioned numbers of 232 and is actively recruiting. Current headcount at the end of June 2024 was 157.55 FTE. ComReg currently have 74.45 vacancies for which they are recruiting.ComReg is statutorily accountable to the Oireachtas and has a dedicated email address oireachtas@comreg.ie.

Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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121. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the current levels of staffing in the Commission for Regulation of Utilities; the current number of vacant positions; and the total target workforce. [29869/24]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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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.

Please find below the staffing levels and vacancies along with total targeted workforce as of 30 June 2024:

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.