Rises in fuel prices heavily criticised

Energy costs might come down if the Corrib gasfield was in operation, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern told the Dáil as the Opposition criticised the price increases in gas and electricity.

Labour leader Pat Rabbitte described the price rises as "unconscionably high".

He said they came at a time when "almost one in five Irish people is defined as fuel poor".

Mr Rabbitte questioned if the Taoiseach was happy with the situation "whereby outrageous, disproportionate price increases are permitted in order to increase profits in the energy sector to attract in new entrants in order to provide competition to keep prices down?"

But Mr Ahern said that "these increases, mainly due to the price increase of gas from Russia, have been internationally imposed.

Ireland imports 86 per cent of its gas indirectly from Russia which contributes to a large part to our energy generation."

Later during a debate on the final stages of the Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources Noel Dempsey included an amendment "to remove any doubt about the status of existing consents granted for certain large-scale infrastructural projects".

There was a risk that such projects "could require further consents under the new system, in addition to those already granted, even where they had successfully applied for planning permission already or possibly even where they had already begun development".