Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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332. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will consider capping standing charges for electricity at a rate consistent with European averages (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24265/25]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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333. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment whether legislation will be progressed to move towards a consumption-based energy billing model and away from reliance on standing charges (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24266/25]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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334. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment whether legislation will be progressed to mandate that energy providers provide a specific breakdown and justification for any standing charges (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24267/25]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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335. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment whether he believes it is appropriate that individuals who are low energy users, in particular those who are low energy users because they are on low incomes, pay a disproportionate amount for their energy usage through high standing charges (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24268/25]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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336. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment whether his Department has investigated whether standing charges paid by households for energy contribute to lower bills for commercial energy consumers (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24269/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 332, 333, 334, 335 and 336 together.

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, including the matters raised by the Deputy, is solely a matter for the independent regulator, Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU). In line with long standing policy on deregulating price setting, CRU ended its regulation of retail prices in the electricity market in 2011, and in the gas market in 2014.

Price setting by electricity suppliers, including standing charges, is a commercial and operational matter for the companies concerned. Each such company has its own different approach to pricing decisions over time, in accordance with factors such as their overall company strategic direction and developments in their cost base. Within a competitive environment, providers also have costs such as staffing, Tax, infrastructure, and cost of Network Tariffs which, in turn, affects end users’ bills.

Network tariffs, which are a significant component of a customer's standing charge, are used to finance the maintenance and expansion of Ireland's electricity grid which are necessary tasks on ensuring our journey to a Net Zero. This will have long run benefits for electricity users throughout Ireland.

The CRU is an independent statutory regulator and is accountable for the performance of its functions to the a Committee of the Oireachtas. The CRU provides a dedicated email address for Oireachtas members, which enables them raise questions on energy regulatory matters, such as the matter raised in this question, to CRU at oireachtas@cru.ie for timely direct reply.