Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 July 2014
474. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the number of Bills his Department has published since March 2011; the number of regulatory impact assessments that his Department has published since March 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29289/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraSince March 2011 there have been five Bills initiated by me and brought through the legislative process to completion as follows:
- The Access to Central Treasury Funds (Commission for Energy Regulation) Bill 2011, enacted on the 23rd of November 2011. No Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA) was required for this Bill - a full RIA was undertaken for the related Petroleum (Exploration and Extraction) Safety Act, 2010.
- The Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2011, enacted on the 25th of February 2012. A RIA for the Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2011 was published with the Bill on the 27th September 2011.
- The Electricity Regulation (Carbon Revenue Levy)(Amendment) Bill 2012, enacted on the 25th of May 2012. This was emergency legislation on foot of a Supreme Court Decision and therefore was exempt from RIA requirements.
- The Gas Regulation Bill 2013, enacted on the 3rd of December 2013. A RIA on the Gas Regulation Bill 2013, setting out the policy context and rationale for the implementation of full ownership unbundling, including for the sale of Bord Gáis Energy, was prepared. Some of the material contained in the RIA was considered to be commercially sensitive in light of the ongoing transaction process. Therefore, it has not been published at this stage.
- The ESB (Electronic Communications Networks) Bill 2014, enacted on the 18th of March 2014. A RIA was completed in respect of the Bill and was published on my Department’s website.
My Department undertakes RIA in accordance with the procedures set out in the RIA Guidelines published by the Department of the Taoiseach.
