Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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217. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if there has been a review into the cost of energy for domestic users relative to other European countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59791/25]

Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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218. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if there has been a review into the cost of energy for business users relative to other European countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59792/25]

Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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219. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if research has been carried out by his Department into the percentage of average income that is spent on energy bills; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59793/25]

Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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220. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if research has been carried out by his Department into the average price increase of both electricity and gas per unit over the past five years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59794/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 217 to 220, inclusive, together.

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 CRU is an independent regulator, accountable to the Oireachtas and not to me as Minister.

The most recent Eurostat report on European energy prices, published in April 2025 for the second half of 2024, lists Ireland as having the fifth highest electricity prices in the EU. However, when adjusted for purchasing power parity, a more accurate reflection of costs as experienced by consumers across Europe, Ireland is far closer to the European average. In this accounting, Ireland ranks twelfth for household electricity prices.

There are several historic reasons for this. We have a very dispersed population, a low level of interconnection with European markets and a 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 compared with European cohorts who are more densely urbanised. It is expected that as interconnection with other countries, including France, increases, wholesale electricity prices in Ireland will reduce with a further expected reduction in retail prices.

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 address energy costs, including with regard to VAT. My Department has also established a cross-Government National Energy Affordability Taskforce to identify, assess and implement measures that will enhance energy affordability for households and businesses, while delivering key renewable commitments and protecting security of supply and economic stability. The taskforce has developed and published an interim report, which set out measures for consideration as part of the Budget 2026 process. This report has been published on Gov.ie, in advance of further analysis and the publication of the Energy Affordability Action Plan in 2026.