Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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161. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government to report on the first meeting of the national energy affordability taskforce; the measures actioned as a result of this meeting; when the taskforce will next meet; to report on those who attended the meeting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35237/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has established the National Energy Affordability Taskforce with the objective of identifying, assessing and implementing measures that will enhance energy affordability for households and businesses, operating within the broader policy context set by the Programme for Government and the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021.

I chaired the first meeting of the Taskforce in my Department's offices on 19 June. This meeting heard presentations from the National Economic and Social Council, the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, as well as updates from Taskforce members on relevant programmes underway to support energy affordability for households and businesses.

The Taskforce meeting was attended by officials from my Department, as well as representatives from the following organisations:

• Department of the Taoiseach
• Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
• Department of Finance
• Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Sector Reform and Digitalisation
• Department of Social Protection
• Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
• Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU)
• Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI)
• The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI)
• ESB Networks
• EirGrid
• Gas Networks Ireland