Written Answers Nos. 547-571
547. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of greyhounds which were euthanised at greyhound tracks here after sustaining racing injures; if the statistics for injuries to greyhounds during racing can be published by the Irish Greyhound Board on a track by track basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28556/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraBord na gCon is a commercial state body, established in 1958 under the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958, chiefly to control greyhound racing and to improve and develop the greyhound industry. Bord na gCon is a body corporate and a separate legal entity to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
The issues to which the Deputy refers are an operational matter for Bord na gCon.
Bord na gCon has provided me with figures in relation to the number of greyhounds which were euthanised at greyhound tracks after sustaining racing injuries and these are contained in the table below. The table also contains figures for the number of greyhounds that sustained injuries at race tracks.
Bord na gCon has assured me that all tracks are monitored on a continuous basis by its officials in order to ensure the safety and welfare of racing greyhounds.
Number of greyhounds injured/ euthanised at greyhound race tracks
|
- |
Injured |
Euthanised |
No. of greyhounds raced |
% of greyhounds injured |
% of greyhounds euthanised |
|
July - Dec 2014 |
266 |
69 |
51183 |
0.52 |
0.13 |
|
Jan - Dec 2015 |
421 |
122 |
95127 |
0.44 |
0.13 |
|
Jan - Aug 2016 |
300 |
97 |
64605 |
0.46 |
0.15 |
549. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount of the surplus moneys allocated to the greyhound industry in 2015 which was spent on greyhound welfare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28558/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraBord na gCon is a commercial State body, established in 1958, under the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958, chiefly to control greyhound racing and to improve and develop the greyhound industry. Bord na gCon is a body corporate and a separate legal entity to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
State funding to the horse and greyhound racing industries is provided through the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund. 80% and 20% of the moneys paid into the Fund each year are distributed between Horse Racing Ireland and Bord na gCon respectively.
The issue raised by the Deputy regarding the monies spent on greyhound welfare is an operational matter for Bord na gCon.
551. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of entitlements a person (details supplied) in County Galway has; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28569/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person named is not the registered owner of the herd shown according to records held by my Department. There is no herd number registered in the name of the person named based on records in my Department. In the circumstances it is not possible to comment on the number of entitlements held.
552. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will amend the knowledge transfer programme to allow the entry of young farmers in particular who are not in a financial position to slaughter cattle at this time but who would otherwise benefit from participation in the programme. [28588/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraKnowledge Transfer Groups are currently being rolled out as part of the range of supports and measures contained in Ireland’s Rural Development Programme (RDP), 2014-2020. All RDP schemes are required to incorporate eligibility and selection criteria to ensure equitable treatment of applicants, better use of financial resources and targeting of measures in accordance with the European Union priorities for rural development. The eligibility requirements for Beef Knowledge Transfer Groups were as set out in the scheme terms and conditions and the application period is now closed.
553. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of his Department’s engagement with the European Commission regarding the forgotten farmer; if he has sought recognition from the European Commission for forgotten farmers as a group with specific disadvantage under the national reserve in the same way that old young farmers are currently provided for; if not, when he plans to do so; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28589/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraPreliminary analysis carried out by my Department shows that some 3,900 farmers fall into the category of Forgotten Farmer. This group is defined as farmers who are under 40 years of age, established their holdings prior to 2008 and who hold low value entitlements. An estimation of the cost of increasing the value of existing entitlements to the National Average for these 3,900 farmers stands at over €12 million.
There was no National Reserve in 2016 as all available funding of €24 million had been utilised under the 2015 scheme. In order to provide for a National Reserve in 2017 funding is required to replenish the Reserve. EU Regulations governing the scheme provide that funding for the replenishment of the National Reserve may be obtained by means of surrender of entitlements that remain unused by farmers for two consecutive years and by clawback derived following the sale of entitlements without land. It is envisaged that funding derived from these two sources will be limited. The Regulations also provide for the application of a linear cut to the value of all farmers’ entitlements to replenish the National Reserve. Decisions in relation to the National Reserve for 2017 will be considered once the position on potential funding has been established.
Under the National Reserve priority access must be given to the two mandatory categories of ‘young farmer’ and ‘new entrant to farming’. Support for other categories such as those that may be regarded as suffering from ‘specific disadvantage’ can only be considered once the two mandatory categories have been catered for. Decisions in relation to potential categories for inclusion under any National Reserve in 2017 can only be considered once the overall position on potential funding has been established.
The Programme for Partnership Government contains a commitment to pursue the category of Forgotten Farmers at EU level.
554. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to establish an online database of the Land Commission data dating from the pre-Cromwell time to the Griffith Valuation and through to the present day records; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28604/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraSome 8 million records relating to the activities of the former Irish Land Commission are available in paper format only. There are no plans at present to make these records available online, my Department may consider this at a future date.
555. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if Ireland is one of the 15 EU member states to oppose the EU Commission proposal for criteria for endocrine disruptors; the Government position; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28660/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe EU Regulations dealing with authorisation of plant protection products and biocidal products stipulate that active substances intended for use in products can only be approved if they are not considered to have endocrine disrupting properties that may cause adverse effect in humans. In June 2016 the Commission presented an impact assessment and draft legislative proposals for scientific criteria to identify endocrine disruptors under the Biocidal Products legislation and the Plant Protection Products legislation.
Discussions involving the Commission and Member States are ongoing on the draft legal texts. The Commission's proposals include an explicit description of the scientific data requirements for identification of endocrine disruptors. They also include detailed instructions on how scientific evidence is to be evaluated, judged and weighted. My Department consider that the Commission’s approach will enable decision-making criteria for biocides and plant protection active substances to be applied in a consistent and predictable manner.
556. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will review and process a TAMS application for a person (details attached) without delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28663/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThis file was subject to a check to verify compliance with the farm waste and nutrient storage requirements as laid down in S.I. No. 31 of 2014. These checks have now been completed and the relevant requirements have been confirmed as in order.
The file is now ready for final processing and it is expected that the approval should issue to the farmer concerned shortly.
557. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reasons why in a Ministerial determination relating to EIS requirements for an aquaculture licence application in County Donegal (details supplied), it has been determined that an EIS is not required with respect to the application; if consideration was given to the fact that the area to which the application relates is located within a special area of conservation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28666/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraApplications for aquaculture licences are considered by my Department in accordance with the provisions of the 1997 Fisheries (Amendment) Act and the 1933 Foreshore Act and applicable EU legislation.
The licence application referred to is in respect of sites located in an area which is designated as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) under the EU Habitats Directive. All applications in such sites are required to be appropriately assessed for the purpose of environmental compliance with the relevant legislation. The Appropriate Assessment of this area has been completed and is available on my Department's website www.agriculture.gov.ie.
There is a separate obligation on my Department to determine whether an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is required. As part of this process the application referred to has been screened by my Department to determine whether a full EIS is required. My determination in that regard is also available on my Department's website.
The overall assessment process for aquaculture licence applications includes a period of statutory and public consultation. This is currently underway in the case of this application and the relevant Public Notice appeared in the 'Donegal Democrat' of 19 September.
As the licence application remains under active consideration by my Department as part of a statutory process it would not be appropriate to comment further.
558. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of retired public sector employees in his Department, including bodies under its aegis, who are in receipt of a public sector pension that have been re-employed either part-time or full-time, temporary or otherwise by the public sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28974/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department currently has one staff member of the Department who retired, and was re-hired some months later as part of an open competition.
In relation to Public Sector workers, this is a matter for the bodies themselves.
The Department makes use of the expertise of retired members of the Department for the purposes of selection processes including the short listing of candidates and interviewing. In 2015, four retired members of the Department served on interview boards while to date in 2016 two retired staff members have served on interview boards.
Currently my Department has re-engaged eight former members of staff as part-time Locum Tenens Veterinary Inspectors on a contract for services basis. In addition, one former member of staff has been re-engaged as a part-time Locum Tenens Quality Manager on a contract for services basis, to provide cover for other essential functions within the Department.
559. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his attention has been drawn to the detrimental impact which the lack of high-speed broadband is having on a business (details supplied); the timeframe for the delivery of high speed broadband to this address; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28400/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Broadband Plan (NBP) aims to deliver high speed services to every city, town, village and individual premises in Ireland. The Programme for Government commits to the delivery of the NBP as a matter of priority. This is being achieved through private investment by commercial telecommunications companies and through a State intervention in areas where commercial investment is not forthcoming. The formal procurement process for the State Intervention commenced in December 2015.
The procurement process aims to identify an entity or entities to build, roll out, operate and deliver high speed broadband of at least 30 Mbps upload and 6 Mbps download speeds to all premises within the intervention area.
The High Speed Broadband Map, which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie shows the extent of the State Intervention area:
- The areas marked BLUE represent those areas where commercial providers are either currently delivering or have previously indicated plans to deliver high speed broadband services. The Department continues to monitor the commercial deployment plans in the BLUE area to ensure that those services are delivered.
- The areas marked AMBER on the High Speed Broadband Map represent the target areas for the State Intervention which are the subject of the current procurement process.
The map provides information on a county by county basis with a breakdown of coverage across the townlands in every county including County Louth. Individuals can check whether their premises is in a BLUE or an AMBER area by scrolling through the map online or entering their Eircode. The Department also has a dedicated mailbox and anyone with a query in relation to the Map should email the Department, quoting their Eircode, to broadband@dcenr.gov.ie. The business referred to by the Deputy in the Question is within the Intervention (AMBER) area. This means that it is not within an area receiving services from commercial broadband providers but will be included in the State Intervention network rollout.
Over 750,000 premises are the focus for the procurement process, which formally commenced in December 2015. This includes over 15,000 premises in Louth. On 5 July, I announced that my Department has also identified that up to an additional 170,000 premises which are currently marked BLUE on the High Speed Broadband Map are unlikely to get access to services. My Department is conducting further analysis to identify these additional premises with a view to including them in the formal procurement process. This work will conclude in the coming months and will be reflected in a further update to the High Speed Broadband Map.
The Department commenced the Invitation to Participate in Dialogue (ITPD) phase of the procurement process in July and is engaged in the formal dialogue process with the three qualifying bidders. Following the conclusion of the Dialogue Phase and an invitation to bidders to submit detailed draft proposals, the Department will issue final tender documentation to bidders. When final tenders have been submitted a winning bidder(s) will be selected for the contract which will comprise one or two lots as set out in the NBP Intervention Strategy.
The timing of each stage of the procurement is dependent on a number of factors including the number of qualified bidders and the complexities that may be encountered during the procurement process. It must be noted that bidders will need adequate time to prepare detailed proposals and their final formal bids and get the relevant shareholder and funding approvals at these stages of the process.
As part of the Department's extensive stakeholder consultations in 2015, telecommunications service providers indicated that it could take 3-5 years to roll out a network of the scale envisaged under the NBP. It is however open to bidder(s) to suggest more aggressive timescales as part of their bids. As part of the competitive process, the Department will engage with winning bidder(s) on the best roll-out strategy, in order to target areas of particularly poor service, business needs and/or high demand. This will need to be balanced with the most efficient network roll-out plan. A prioritisation programme will be put in place in this regard, in consultation with the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. A detailed roll-out plan for the network will be published once contract(s) are in place.
The Programme for Government also commits to measures to assist in the roll out of the network once a contract is awarded. In this regard, Minister Humphreys is leading on the establishment of two regional action groups, working with Local Authorities, Local Enterprise Offices and other relevant agencies to help accelerate the broadband network build in rural Ireland, once a contract(s) has been awarded.
In the meantime, my Department continues to liaise closely with industry and relevant other Departments and agencies to assist in the commercial deployment of telecommunications networks. The commercial telecommunications sector has invested over €2bn in upgrading and modernising networks which support the provision of high speed broadband and mobile telecoms services. These investments will further improve the coverage and quality of broadband and mobile voice and data services throughout the country.
In line with commitments in the Programme for Government I established a Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce with my colleague Minister Humphreys in July 2016. The Taskforce will recommend practical actions that can be taken in the short-term to improve mobile phone and broadband access in Ireland, working with Government Departments, Local Authorities, ComReg, State Agencies, the telecoms industry and other key stakeholders. The work of the taskforce will also assist Local Authorities in preparing for the roll out of the new NBP network once contract(s) are in place. I expect that Minister Humphreys and I will bring proposals to Government by the end of 2016, on foot of the taskforce report.
560. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will review the sale of a company (details supplied); his views on the sale; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28078/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraWhile I am aware of the proposed purchase of Celtic Media, including the Anglo Celt newspaper, by Independent News & Media (INM), this matter is currently being considered by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) and, until the CCPC has made its determination in this case, I have no role in relation to the proposed transaction.
Should the proposed purchase receive clearance from the CCPC, it must then be notified to me as Minister.
Upon receipt of notification from the parties a phase 1 examination of the merger is carried out by my Department. This examination is guided by the relevant criteria laid out in the legislation and by the Guidelines on Media Mergers, both of which are available on my Department's website. Following this examination I have three options under the legislation, which are to allow the merger to proceed, to allow the merger to proceed with conditions, or to ask the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) to conduct a more in-depth, or phase 2, examination of the proposed merger.
If the latter is the case, then the BAI will, following its examination of the proposed merger, provide me with a report detailing its recommendations on the matter. It is also possible for me, as Minister, to establish an advisory panel to provide an opinion to the BAI on the application of the relevant criteria to the media merger in question. Following receipt of the BAI's report and recommendations, I must then make a decision either to allow the merger to proceed, to allow it to proceed with conditions or to refuse to grant my consent.
In accordance with the Guidelines on Media Mergers, my Department facilitates pre-notification meetings with the parties to a proposed media merger. The purpose of such meetings is to answer questions the parties may have about the media mergers process and the notification form. A pre-notification meeting was held with the legal representatives of INM and Celtic Media on 22 September 2016.
It would not be appropriate for me to provide further comment while this case is currently under consideration.
561. Deputy Tom Neville asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding Civil Service records. [28081/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can inform the Deputy that my Department holds the records relevant to this case and the matter will be dealt with directly with the person in question.
562. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will ensure that Inland Fisheries Ireland continues with its fish farming operations; if he will provide significant capital investment to deal with the deficiencies that exist at Inland Fisheries Ireland's trout production facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28228/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe proposals as regards the fish farm operations of Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) are a day to day operational matter for the Board of IFI. My Department had already indicated to IFI the need for consultation with affected stakeholders prior to any action.
I am advised by IFI that the Board of IFI met with a delegation from the main trout angling representative bodies in August to discuss IFI’s proposals in this regard.
As a result of these discussions the Board of IFI has agreed to defer indefinitely its proposal to exit trout production. All parties also recognised that there are significant economic, environmental and biological issues surrounding the current production facilities which need to be addressed.
I am assured by IFI that the Board is committed to developing a comprehensive strategy to meet current and future trout production needs, subject to securing the investment required. All parties have agreed to continue to work closely together to deliver this strategy.
I recently visited the fish farms to view operations and I have met with the Board of IFI and the CEO to discuss the concerns of IFI and the angling community. I am conscious of the concerns about continuity of a supply of fish for lakes around the country and I have asked IFI to advise me of the outcome of its ongoing discussions with the angling representatives.
563. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to reflect and deliver on a public duty (details supplied) in its statement of strategy due to be published in October 2016; the way his Department is engaging with the programme for a partnership Government commitment to equality and gender proofing in the Departmental and budgetary process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28231/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is currently preparing a new Statement of Strategy which will set out the key objectives, outputs and related strategies for the period 2017 to 2019. As part of this process my Department is assessing and identifying the human rights and equality issues that are relevant to its functions as an employer, policy maker and service provider. This assessment will include details of measures to address any issues identified.
My Department has already implemented a number of measures to improve gender and equality proofing. In developing new policies and programmes, consultation with interested stakeholders is an integral part of the process and to further improve our capacity in this area, a stakeholder engagement toolkit is being prepared. Our website was re-designed in 2015 in order to make it more user friendly and accessible for the public. This included a 'plain English' programme with the National Adult Literacy Agency to ensure that members of the public could maximise public access to strategy and policy documents. Memoranda for Government include an assessment of gender proofing as a matter of course and in accordance with Cabinet procedures.
The Department has undertaken a leadership development programme for all senior managers which included awareness of unconscious bias and has undertaken mandatory training for all staff on Dignity at Work Policy and flexible working schemes. Finally, my Department has also participated in the Leadership development programme for female Principal Officers run by the Gender Equality Unit in the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform.
564. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if Brexit will have any implications for the North-South Interconnector project which, if it gets the go ahead, will see a 400kV powerline run cross-Border through Counties Cavan and Monaghan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28413/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe North-South Interconnector will provide a second high capacity link between the electricity systems in Ireland and Northern Ireland and will accordingly increase the efficiency of the all-island Single Electricity Market and security of electricity supply and also allow greater levels of renewable energy be connected to the grid. I envisage no impact from Brexit on the North-South Interconnector project.
The project is in currently the planning process in both jurisdictions with a decision on the section in Ireland by An Bord Pleanála due by 21 December as indicated on their website.
565. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the rationale behind his decision to not add the Six Nations Rugby competition to Ireland's compulsory free-to-air sporting events list; if this decision was made after public consultation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28462/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am not proposing to make any change to the current status of the Six Nations Rugby competition in terms of those events listed for free-to-air broadcasting.
The current review was launched in June 2014 and involved a public consultation seeking submissions from interested parties on the current list and their views on the possible designation of the Ladies Football and Camogie Finals and the designation of Six Nations on a 'live' free to air basis rather than its current designation on a 'deferred' basis.
Consultants were engaged in October 2015 to conduct a full review of the current list, the proposals for designation and the 493 submissions received from interested parties. The final Report was submitted to my Department on 28 January 2016. As required by the legislation, I have consulted with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport prior to finalising my decision in this matter.
The proposed list will now be notified to the European Commission and, once notified, the Commission will have three months to consider the list and indicate whether it complies with EU criteria. In the meantime, the existing Order SI 99/2003 remains in force.
In relation to the Six Nations Rugby competition, the current contractual situation between Six Nations Rugby Ltd and Irish broadcasters is that the competition is available to RTÉ for broadcast on a 'live' free-to-air basis until the end of 2017 and, following that, will be available to TV3 for broadcast on a 'live' free-to-air basis for the period 2018 to 2021. In the event of any significant change to this position, it is open to me to review the designation.
566. Deputy Ciarán Cannon asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when Eircode will be made compatible with Google Maps and GPS platforms (details supplied). [28463/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraEircode is compatible with Global Positioning System (GPS) functionality, as each Eircode provides a GPS location for each postal address. This allows Eircodes to be used with GPS enabled devices to accurately give directions and locate properties.
Google and Eircode are working together to fully embed the Eircode in Google products as soon as possible.
TomTom are currently integrating Eircode into their products, having concluded their commercial discussions with Eircode.
Commercial negotiations are on going with other SatNav providers with a view to encoding their products with Eircode in due course.
567. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his attention has been drawn to the conditions at Kilmoyley Graveyard, County Kerry (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28502/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department has no function in relation to the matters raised in the Question.
Responsibility for the maintenance or planning of graveyards is a matter for the relevant local authority. Responsibilities for flood prevention lie between the Local Authority and the Office of Public Works.
568. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to replace the television licence fee with a broadcasting charge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28523/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have no plans to replace the current Television Licence fee with a broadcasting charge.
I recognise the important part that public service broadcasters play in our democratic society. The provision of stable and adequate funding is essential to ensuring the continued delivery of their role in this regard. I am very much aware, however, of the challenges that face the existing TV Licence system, including the current unacceptable levels of evasion. While the rate has fallen from 15.3% at the end of 2013 to the current rate of 13.75% it is still very high.
In that context, my Department has been working with An Post and RTÉ on an on-going basis so that all steps are being taken to ensure the system is working as effectively as possible. Measures such as marketing campaigns, more evening and weekend inspections and appointment of additional temporary Inspectors are just some of the initiatives that have been utilized to enhance sales and improve compliance rates.
My Department is also currently examining a number of additional actions that might be taken, including legislative measures, with the aim of further strengthening the system.
569. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of staff in the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, BAI, in the years 2013, 2014, 2015 and to date in 2016; if his Department has received any requests from the BAI during this period for extra staffing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28582/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information sought by the Deputy in relation to staff numbers in the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) is set out in the table. The numbers relate to Full Time Equivalent Staff (FTE).
|
Year |
Number of FTE staff |
|
2013 |
30 |
|
2014 |
30 |
|
2015 |
35 |
|
2016 (to end June) |
31 |
In February 2014 the BAI wrote to the Department seeking approval to recruit additional staff. In March 2015 delegated sanction, as required by Section 2(2) of the Ministers and Secretaries Act, 1924 and in accordance with Section 17 (2) of the Civil Service Regulation Act, 1956, was granted to the BAI to recruit up to a maximum staffing level of 35 full time equivalent posts, subject to certain terms and conditions.
570. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his views that certain reconnection charges to the ESB service are excessively high and if he will investigate the matter. [28597/16]
Amharc ar fhreagra571. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will investigate the case of a person (details supplied) who was charged €1,975 in a reconnection fee even though the sole source of income is a social protection payment; and if he will secure a reduction in this fee or have this fee waived. [28598/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 570 and 571 together.
I am acutely aware of the financial challenges faced by families, businesses, charitable and voluntary organisations in dealing with energy costs. However, it is important to note that the electricity and gas markets are commercial, liberalised, and competitive and that they operate within national and European regulatory regimes.
Responsibility for electricity and gas market regulation is a matter for the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) which is an independent statutory body. The CER is focused on actions to mitigate costs for business and residential consumers, such as rigorous scrutiny of network costs, deeper integration with European energy markets and the delivery of a truly competitive market in the interest of customers. The CER continues to monitor the electricity and gas markets to ensure that competition continues to develop and that customers benefit from competition.
A number of measures have been taken in recent years to assist consumers deal with energy costs. The Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) procured Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) Meters to help those in difficulty with energy bills to better manage their usage and reduce the risk of disconnection. The network companies undertook the roll-out of over 100,000 of these meters. The roll-out of PAYG meters has contributed to a fall in the number of disconnections and limited the accumulation of dangerous levels of arrears. The Department continues to work with the CER and the energy industry to ensure that there are no impediments to their continued availability to customers who are at risk of energy poverty.
The energy industry, specifically Bord Gáis Energy, Electric Ireland, Energia, Flogas Natural Gas and SSE Airtricity adopted a voluntary code of practice, the 'Energy Engage Code', that saw them commit to never disconnect an engaging customer, to avoid disconnections in the winter period, and to work with their customers on realistic and achievable payment plans for any arrears.
The Code supplements existing obligations on suppliers as set out in the CERs Electricity and Natural Gas Supplier Handbook. The impact of the Code on the level of disconnections is be continuously monitored by the CER.
The Deputy gave details about a reconnection charge. The levying of these charges is an operational matter for ESB Networks, which operates the distribution network on the electricity grid. This is the medium and low voltage electricity network used to deliver electricity to connection points such as houses, offices, shops, business premises, and street lights. Tariffs and charges levied by ESB Networks are also regulated by the CER. In order to ensure that only equitable levels of costs are collected through these tariffs, the CER carries out annual reviews of ESB Networks’ costs incurred in developing, maintaining and operating the distribution system.
Further information on the levying of charges on electricity customers and complaints in relation to connection the electricity network should be addressed to the CER who may be contacted at 01 4000800, 1890 404 404, energycustomers@cer.ie or Commission for Energy Regulation, The Exchange, Belgard Square North, Tallaght, Dublin 24.
