Fergal Mulligan Appointed Chairperson of the Commission for Regulation of Utilities

The Chairperson is appointed on a rotational basis every three years by the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment from the serving members of the Commission.

Fergal Mulligan has extensive experience in designing and enforcing appropriate regulation and governance of national utilities. Fergal was previously the Director of the Digital Connectivity Office in the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications and prior to that led the delivery of the Government programme to ensure all citizens in the State have access to high-speed broadband under the National Broadband Plan, including the establishment of National Broadband Ireland.

He previously held a senior management role with the telecoms regulator, ComReg, and has also held various accounting and audit positions, including with Pricewaterhouse Coopers in Dublin and Melbourne. He is a Chartered Certified Accountant since 1998 and has in recent years received Diplomas in Corporate Governance from UCD and Economics and Competition Law from Kings College London.

Fergal Mulligan has been a member of the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) since May 2024 and succeeds Commissioner Jim Gannon in the role, who has completed his three-year term as Chairperson of the CRU and will continue as a member of the Commission.

There are three Commissioners who lead the CRU - Fergal Mulligan (Chairperson) and members of the Commission, Jim Gannon and Dr. Tanya Harrington.

Commenting on his time in the role, Commissioner Jim Gannon said: “As I complete my term as Chairperson, I would firstly like to thank all the CRU team for their incredible work during the past three years. The energy and utility sectors continue to go through significant and generational change that will ultimately provide a more sustainable future.  The CRU has been and will continue to be at the forefront of this, while always placing customer protection at the heart of its decision making. I would like to thank the Directors and my fellow Commissioners for their support during my term. I would like to offer my congratulations

to Fergal on his appointment and support in his new role as Chair.”

The new Chairperson of the CRU, Fergal Mulligan, said: “I would like to express my sincere thanks to Jim Gannon for his leadership over the past three years - a period marked not only by significant global challenges in the energy sector, but also by substantial transformation within the CRU as the organisation continues to grow and deliver an ambitious programme of work. As I step into this role, I look forward to working closely with my fellow members of the Commission, as well as the wider leadership, management team and staff of the CRU. The CRU will continue to support the security and development of our energy and water networks, while safeguarding the interests of consumers across the water, energy, and energy safety sectors.”