Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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204. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government to report on any meetings he had with energy suppliers since he took office; the dates on which those meetings took places; the discussions that took places; if he anticipates energy prices will decline; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42032/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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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, including the matters raised by the Deputy, is solely a matter for the 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. The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) is an independent regulator, accountable to a committee of the Oireachtas and not to me as Minister.

In June, the Household Energy Price Index published a report on electricity prices for household consumers, which shows Ireland has the fourth highest household electricity prices in the EU after Denmark, the UK and Switzerland. This is largely due to price increases on continental Europe relative to Ireland. Ireland consistently has a high cost of electricity in a European context. There are several historic reasons for this. We have a very dispersed population, a low level of interconnection with European markets and lack of natural resources. Network charges are also higher in Ireland than other Member States as Ireland’s disaggregated population means that network upgrades and maintenance need to be made to more sections of network that serve fewer final users than European cohorts who are more densely urbanised.

It is expected as interconnection with other countries including France increases, wholesale electricity prices in Ireland will reduce with a further expected reduction in retail prices.

As Minister I meet with a range of stakeholders on a number of important topics including energy prices. This includes energy suppliers. In addition, to my interactions, my officials meet with suppliers on a regular basis and a key message to them is the critical importance of prices being reduced as soon as possible.

The Government has made a number of important commitments in respect of addressing the continued high cost of energy. The Programme for Government acknowledges the increased energy cost pressures on households and businesses and commits to bringing forward measures to help contain energy costs, including with regard to VAT. A cross-Government Energy Affordability Taskforce has been established to identify, assess and implement measures that will enhance energy affordability for households and businesses. This will include a full review of all cost drivers across the energy market in Ireland.