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 Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU), which was assigned responsibility for the regulation of the Irish electricity and gas markets following the enactment of the Electricity Regulation Act (ERA), 1999. As part of its statutory role, the CRU also has consumer protection functions and sets out the obligations on suppliers in the Electricity and Gas Suppliers Handbooks (further detail is available at www.cru.ie/wpcontent/uploads/2021/09/CRU21111a-Electricity-and-Gas-Suppliers-Handbook-2021.pdf). The CRU is an independent statutory Regulator and is accountable for the performance of its functions to the Oireachtas, and not to me as Minister. The Deputy may wish to note that CRU provides a dedicated email address for Oireachtas members at oireachtas@cru.ie, which enables them raise questions on energy regulatory matters to CRU for timely, direct, reply.
