Written Answers Nos. 6-20
6. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his views on the way that salmon catchment numbers were put together for the rivers Suir and Nore in each of the years 2018 to 2022, inclusive; the way that the calculations were adjusted to take account of low water during this period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50471/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra7. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will request the installation of a salmon counter on the River Suir at Carrick On Suir to ensure the accuracy of the number of salmon that go up the River Suir to spawn rather than depending on guesswork; if the number of salmon recorded in future will be based over a full calendar year using a counter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50472/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra8. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will request the installation of a salmon counter on the River Nore at Inistiogue to ensure accuracy of the number of salmon that go up the River Nore to spawn rather than depending on guesswork; if the number of salmon that are recorded in future will be based over a full calendar year using a counter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50473/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 6, 7 and 8 together. I propose to take Questions Nos 6, 7 and 8 together
The management of each of Ireland’s more than 140 salmon rivers including the calculation of the salmon catchment numbers/exploitation rates per river along with the installation of fish counters are operational matters for Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) in which neither I nor my department have any role.
Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) has established a specific email address for queries from Oireachtas members so that queries can be addressed promptly, in line with IFI’s objective to deliver services to the highest standards. The email address is oireachtas@fisheriesireland.ie.
9. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will ensure that representatives of the ancient and cultural tradition of snap net fishing will be included in the decision-making process in relation to the salmon catch that is allowed on the rivers Suir and Nore; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50474/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra10. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his views on the way that the ancient tradition of snap net fishing that has been in place since the time of the Vikings will be protected into the future to ensure that the unique skills are not lost forever; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50475/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 9 and 10 together. I propose to take Questions Nos 9 and 10 together
In December of each year a suite of secondary legislation – including the Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme Regulations (WSSTTSRs) – is made by my Department to set out the fisheries management regime for the following year. The legislation is based on individual annual assessments of more than 140 Rivers, including the Suir, Nore and Barrow, carried out by the independent Technical Expert Group on Salmon (TEGOS). This scientific assessment supports the annual management advice of Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) setting out the status of each river (open to harvest, open to catch and release angling or closed to all fishing) for the 2023 fishing season.
I am advised by IFI that this year’s scientific assessment and management advice is currently being prepared and will inform which rivers may be safely open to fishing based on such rivers having a harvestable surplus above safe biological limits regardless of the harvest method.
I will shortly bring forward the draft management legislation for 2023 and, as usual, a full 30 day public consultation will commence in early November to afford an opportunity for all stakeholders to make a written submission outlining their views on the proposals before the legislation is finalised.
11. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the mechanism by which full-time residents in mobile home parks who pay for electricity calculated by individual non-ESBN meters through their mobile home park operator will receive the three lump sum electricity account credits announced in Budget 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50498/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra20. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if residents of caravan parks may access the full €200 reduction off their energy bills (details supplied); if so, the way in which they may apply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50517/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra21. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the options for redress open to prepay customers who were not provided with the €200 reduction off energy bills allocated in April, May and June 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50518/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 11, 20 and 21 together. Government is acutely aware of the impact that the recent increases in global energy prices is having on households and throughout 2022 introduced a €2.4 billion package of supports and as part of Budget 2023 has introduced a package of once off measures worth €2.5 billion. This includes a new Electricity Cost Emergency Benefit Scheme through whereby €550.47 (exclusive of VAT) will be credited to each domestic electricity account in three payments of €183.49 in each of the following billing periods - November/December 2022, January/February 2023 and March/April 2023 to an estimated 2.2 million domestic electricity accounts, including pay as you go accounts. The estimated cost of this scheme is €1.211 billion. The Electricity Costs Emergency Benefit Payment credited €176.22 (excluding VAT) to domestic electricity accounts, including pay as you go accounts, through April, May and June this year. Upon the scheme’s conclusion on 30 June over 2.1 million domestic electricity accounts had received the payment with the value of these payments totalling almost €377 million. This means that 99.36% of eligible domestic electricity accounts had the credit applied. The forthcoming scheme will apply to domestic electricity accounts using their unique MPRN to allow the payment to be credited to individual bills automatically without the need for application or approval including pay as you go meters. While the majority of residential tenants will hold their own domestic electricity accounts, and therefore receive the credit directly, others would have tenancy agreements where tenants pay their actual share of each bill and, in those cases, will benefit from the payment because the amount of the bill will be reduced by the amount of the payment. A small proportion would have other arrangements in place whereby electricity costs are part of the rental cost. Where tenants have a dispute relating to tenancies including any terms relating to electricity payments, these can be referred to the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) for dispute resolution.
12. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of prepaid gas meters for domestic household customers in the State; the number with each company. [50501/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra13. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of prepaid electricity meters for domestic household customers in the State; the breakdown of the number with each company. [50502/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra15. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he raised the issue of extending the moratorium on disconnections to prepaid customers in his meetings with gas and electricity utility companies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50504/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra16. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if his Department has explored ways to extend the disconnection moratorium to prepaid customers; the options explored; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50505/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra17. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he has explored the various barriers that exist for consumers to switch from prepay to credit meters; his views on a ban on exit fees or other financial penalties for persons wishing to switch from prepaid meters to credit meters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50506/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra18. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if those who have agreed to take a prepaid meter as part of a process to pay down arrears on their electricity or gas accounts will be allowed to switch back to a credit meter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50507/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra19. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will support the waiving of the fee to change a gas meter from prepaid to credit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50508/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra25. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the measures that he has put in place to stop companies from cutting off pay-as-you-go customers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50565/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 25 together. There are circa 340,000 pay-as-you-go (pre-pay) meters out of a total of 2.2 million electricity meters. An estimated 250,000 of these are where households requested this for various reasons (i.e. rental accommodation; holiday homes; or where a customer prefers to pay in advance for more certainty). There are about 90,000 so called ‘hardship’ pay-as-you-go electricity meters, who have been switched to these to assist customers with managing their energy costs. There are estimated to be 117,000 pay-as-you-go gas meters, out of a total of nearly 690,000 residential gas meters (bill-pay and pay-as-you-go meters).
I understand there is no charge for moving from a hardship prepayment meter to bill-pay, whether it is electricity or gas.
Government is acutely aware of the impact that the recent increases in global energy prices are having on households. This is why the Government introduced a €2.4 billion package of supports 2022 and a package of one-off measures worth €2.5 billion in the Budget 2023 cost of living package.
The Electricity Costs Emergency Benefit Payment credited €176.22 (excluding VAT) to domestic electricity accounts, including pay as you go accounts, through April, May and June this year. Upon the scheme’s conclusion on 30 June over 2.1 million domestic electricity accounts had received the payment with the value of these payments totalling almost €377 million. This means that 99.36% of eligible domestic electricity accounts had the credit applied.
Included in the Budget 2023 package is a new Electricity Cost Emergency Benefit Scheme through which €550.47 (exclusive of VAT) will be credited to each domestic electricity account, including Pay as You Go accounts, in three payments of €183.49 through the November/December 2022, January/February 2023 and March/April 2023 billing cycles.
This is in addition to an extension of the 9% VAT rate on electricity and gas until February 2023 and lump sum payments to social welfare recipients of schemes such as the Fuel Allowance, the Living Alone Allowance, and the Working Family payment.The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU), 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/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/CRU21111a-Electricity-and-Gas-Suppliers-Handbook-2021.pdf .
Furthermore, as part of Responses 6 and 7 under the National Energy Security Framework, CRU have announced enhanced consumer protection measures for implementation this winter. For pay as you go customers, these strengthened protections include:
- increased emergency credit of no less than €20;
- an obligation on suppliers to advise their prepayment customers in debt, of other payment options available to them, including bill pay;
- debt repayment levels will reduce from 10% from a previous 25% on pay-as-you-go customers top-up payments, whereby, on a €20 top-up only €2 will go towards debt repayment (if it exists), rather than €5 previously; and,
- an obligation on suppliers to place their customers who are on financial hardship meters on the most economic tariff for them.
The obligations set out in the Supplier Handbooks include special provisions for vulnerable customers on billing and disconnection. A vulnerable customer is defined as a household customer who is critically dependent on electrically powered equipment, which includes, but is not limited to, life protecting devices, assistive technologies to support independent living and medical equipment. This category of vulnerable customers cannot be disconnected for non-payment at any time.Vulnerable customers are also defined as those who are particularly vulnerable to disconnection during the winter months for reasons of advanced age or physical, sensory, intellectual or mental health. The moratorium on disconnections for this group has been extended to 6 months (1 October to 31 March). The moratorium applies to bill pay customers. It is important that people who are in such a situation contact their energy supplier to register with them as a vulnerable customer. Their electricity supplier will then notify ESB Networks. ESBN maintains a Vulnerable Customer Register based on the information provided to them by suppliers.
Given, the challenges that all households will face this winter I met with the CRU and suppliers to discuss the situation on the ground and the practical supports, such as hardship funds, for pay-as-you-go customers. As with all customers it is important that if someone finds it is difficult to maintain their credit that they contact their supplier as soon as possible. Energy suppliers also work with NGOs such as MABS and St. Vincent de Paul. Further meetings are scheduled.
The Deputy may wish to note that CRU provides a dedicated email address for Oireachtas members, which enables them raise questions on energy regulatory matters, to CRU at oireachtas@cru.ie for timely direct reply.
14. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the amounts provided in hardship funds for each of the gas and electricity utility companies. [50503/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe electricity and gas retail markets in Ireland operate within a European Union regulatory regime wherein electricity and gas markets are commercial, liberalised, and competitive. Operating within this overall EU framework, responsibility for the regulation of the electricity and gas markets 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) in 1999.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 or Government.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/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/CRU21111a-Electricity-and-Gas-Suppliers-Handbook-2021.pdf.I am aware that electricity and gas suppliers have set up hardship funds which provide exceptional financial support to those in need. I also understand that suppliers are partnering with NGO's in the operation of these arrangements. Therefore, it is very important that consumers who are finding it difficult to meet their electricity and gas bills contact their supplier as soon as possible and continue to engage with them.The Deputy may wish to note that CRU provides a dedicated email address for Oireachtas members, which enables them raise questions on energy regulatory matters to CRU at oireachtas@cru.ie for timely direct reply.
