Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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50. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment to provide an update on preparations to regulate non-domestic gas works, with particular reference to timeframe, engagement with registered gas installers, training, legislation and standards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41633/24]

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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Will the Minister provide an update on preparations to regulate non-domestic gas works with particular reference to a timeframe, engagement with registered gas installers, training, legislation and standards? Will he make a statement on the matter?

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Under section 9F of the Electricity Regulation Act 1999, as amended, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities is responsible for the regulation of gas installers with respect to safety. I refer the Deputy to the CRU, as a statutorily independent regulator, for updates and timelines on this matter in the first instance. The CRU will shortly seek to introduce a statutory instrument to regulate non-domestic gas works by expanding the scope of the registered gas installers, RGI, regime. My Department has delegated to the CRU responsibility to carry out the proportionality assessment for this proposed regulation, as required under SI 413/2022.

The CRU has provided further detail. It will shortly commence a public consultation on aspects of the expanded RGI scheme. A decision paper on scheme rules and obligations and an updated criteria document will be published as part of the consultation. The CRU has consistently engaged with stakeholders and held multiple public consultations from 2014 to 2022. Recent feedback from industry is informing the forthcoming consultation.

With regard to training and standards, expanding the scope of the RGI scheme will mean that gas installers working on non-domestic gas works must comply with the CRU’s gas criteria document and complete the domestic gas assessment of competency every five years. RGIs must ensure they work on installations for which they are competent. This includes non-domestic gas installations in their specific sector. This means they must have the ability, appropriate training, knowledge and experience to supervise or carry out the work being undertaken in a safe and proper manner.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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I have been in contact with the CRU and there has been some progress in this regard. This question was prompted by concerns among gas installers and the installer representative panel regarding the proposal that the non-domestic regime would be merged with the domestic regime without additional training, specific certification or competencies. There were concerns about safety. There were a number of specific queries on the new proposals. RGIs not trained or competent in non-domestic gas works would be registered with unrestricted scope in all aspects of non-domestic gas works, enabling them to carry out a significant scope of works. Training would not be offered within the current domestic gas assessment cycle. It is important to regulate this sector and to bring it into scope but it needs to be managed in the right way. I acknowledge the increased engagement from the CRU in this regard.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I am reassured by Deputy O'Rourke's comments that some of those concerns may have been addressed. This development has been under consideration for ten years, going right back to 2014 when it was first proposed. In the intervening years, the CRU has carried out a lot of consultation. I can understand why people would be concerned about the implications of any change in their industry but I am absolutely confident. The sign that we are going to get this right is that we are not rushing it through and that further consultation is ongoing. We can make sure that the industry has all the necessary notice, training and capabilities to meet the standards. I do not believe anyone would fundamentally disagree with the principle that it is good to have registered workers working in a technical area in which safety is important. Higher standards will benefit the industry in the end. I believe the installers know that.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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I absolutely agree. On the Minister's earlier point, for me and for the industry as a whole, it is about managing this transition and ensuring that standards and oversight are maintained. I will raise a point related to this.

Many of these facilities are unregulated, including communal heating systems. I have one in my area. The Minister would have dealt with my colleague, Ruairí Ó Murchú, regarding Carlinn Hall in Dundalk. There a number of apartment blocks in the city. In my area in Kells, there is The Glebe housing estate which is on bottled gas. The bottled gas is unregulated and they do not have the same consumer protections. Are renewable options being considered to get them off bottled gas? We spoke to Codema, which talked about industrial scale heat pumps. Will geothermal be an option for these folks? They want to get off this bottled gas from the providers and onto a more sustainable and affordable system.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Those domestic areas have already been regulated for some time. Deputy Ó Murchú has been consistent in representing his constituents who, during the gas price spike, found themselves facing huge increases, so I am familiar with that. To answer Deputy O'Rourke's question, the options he mentioned, particularly the likes of heat pumps or other renewable sources to provide more predictable pricing and a secure solution, is one of the ways we need to go. We need to look at district heating in a variety of different guises to meet our heating needs, right down to the individual estate or apartment development. There is real efficiency when a heating source is shared. There will be much innovation and development in that area.