CRU logoCRÚ

Ár bhFoireann

Tá CRU eagraithe i sé rannóg a léiríonn na freagrachtaí éagsúla eacnamaíocha, freagrachtaí um cosaint custaiméirí agus freagrachtaí maidir le sábháilteacht fuinnimh atá aige chomh maith lena ról mar rialtóir eacnamaíoch Uisce Éireann.

Rannóga

Slándáil Soláthair agus Mórdhíola

Tá an Rannóg um Shlándáil Soláthair agus Mórdhíola i gceannas ar chlár gníomhaíochtaí chun aistriú slán fuinnimh go dtí 2030 agus ina dhiaidh a chinntiú. Áirítear leis sin rialáil ar chumas mórdhíola leictreachais, ar sheirbhísí córais agus ar mhargaí fuinnimh agus é mar chuspóir aige a chinntiú go bhfuil córas leictreachais inbhuanaithe agus slán, comharthaí cuí a sholáthar le haghaidh infheistíochta i nginiúint nua in-athnuaite, agus an cumas giniúna gáis ísealcharbóin agus solúbtha a chumasóidh é sin.

Déanann an Rannóg maoirsiú freisin ar an Margadh Aonair Leictreachais (SEM) mórdhíola uile-oileáin i gcomhar leis an Rialtóir Fóntas i mBéal Feirste.

Líonraí agus Rialáil Eacnamaíoch

Treoraíonn an Rannóg um Líonraí agus Rialáil Eacnamaíoch ár gcuid oibre le hUisce Éireann agus le cuideachtaí fuinnimh a fheabhsaíonn rialáil eacnamaíoch CRU na ngréasán ríthábhachtach sin trína gcinntítear go dtacaíonn siad le custaiméirí, go dtacóidh siad le fás eacnamaíoch agus go bhfuil ról bunathraithe acu maidir le hoiriúnú d’áthrú aeráide agus é a mhaolú.

Tá an Rannóg seo freagrach as rialáil gníomhaíochtaí na n-oibreoirí dáileacháin agus tarchurtha leictreachais agus gáis agus úinéirí sócmhainní, as ioncam ceadaithe agus taraifí bliantúla a shocrú laistigh de na creataí dreasachta cuí chun a chinntiú go bhfuil gach infheistíocht i líonraí éifeachtach agus go soláthraíonn siad an toradh is fearr do chustaiméirí.

Féachann rialáil eacnamaíoch na seirbhísí a sholáthraíonn Uisce Éireann lena chinntiú go ndéantar Uisce Éireann a reáchtáil chomh héifeachtach agus is féidir agus ag an am céanna seirbhísí cuí uisce agus fuíolluisce a sholáthar dá chustaiméirí. Faomhann CRU Plean Táillí Uisce Uisce Éireann a léiríonn an t-ioncam ceadaithe, an beartas um mhuirearú ceangail agus an réimeas maidir le taraifí baile agus neamhbhaile.

Beartas agus Cosaint Custaiméirí (lena n-áirítear Cúrsaí Dlíthiúla)

Is í an Rannóg um Beartas agus Cosaint Custaiméirí a bhreathnaíonn i ndiaidh custaiméirí a chumhachtú agus a chosaint. Tá an Rannóg freagrach as maoirsiú a dhéanamh ar gach gné d'iomaíocht, ceadúnú agus cosaint tomhaltóirí sna margaí miondíola fuinnimh in Éirinn. Tá an Rannóg seo fhreagrach as comhordú foriomlán an Chláir Náisiúnta um Méadrú Cliste chomh maith le seirbhís réitigh díospóide a sholáthar do chustaiméirí fuinnimh agus uisce.

Tá an Rannóg seo chun tosaigh freisin maidir le cumhacht a thabhairt do chustaiméirí a bheith rannpháirteach san aistriú fuinnimh agus leas a bhaint as, lena n-áirítear creata rialála nua a fhorbairt chun custaiméirí gníomhacha, pobail fuinnimh agus comhbhailitheoirí a éascú.

Tá ról ginearálta ag an Rannóg freisin maidir le comhairle a chur ar an eagraíocht ar gach ábhar dlí.

Sábháilteacht Fuinnimh


Tá príomhról maoirseachta ag an Rannóg um Shábháilteacht Fuinnimh maidir le sábháilteacht an phobail a chosaint agus mórthionóiscí in earnáil fuinnimh na hÉireann a chosc. Tá an Rannóg freagrach as rialú sábháilteachta an gháis (líonraí, soláthar, stóráil, úsáid agus dáileadh gáis pheitriliam leachtaithe), taiscéalaíocht agus astarraingt peitriliam (ar an mórthír in aghaidh an tsrutha agus amach ón gcósta), suiteálaithe gáis agus conraitheoirí leictreacha.

Functions are discharged through:

  • review and input into energy safety policy and legislative amendments;
  • safety case assessment
  • analysis of energy safety trends;
  • conducting inspections, audits, incident and potential illegal gas/electrical works investigations; and
  • taking enforcement action where warranted.

Oibríochtaí agus Forbairt Eagraíochta


Tá an Rannóg Oibríochtaí agus Forbartha Eagraíochta freagrach as tacú le foirne CRU agus iad a chumasú chun na torthaí atá leagtha amach sa Phlean Straitéiseach a bhaint amach.

Áirítear sa Rannóg:
• Acmhainní Daonna
• Teicneolaíocht Faisnéise/Áiseanna
• Airgeadas agus Rialachas
• Cumarsáid agus Gnóthaí Poiblí
• Tacaíocht gnó

Díríonn na feidhmeanna seo ar threoir agus straitéis na hearnála poiblí atá ag teacht chun cinn agus treoir dea-chleachtais agus straitéis a chur i bhfeidhm don eagraíocht. Agus maoirsiú á dhéanamh freisin ar ullmhú agus cur i bhfeidhm Phlean Straitéiseach CRU, leagann an Rannóg béim faoi leith ar dhearadh agus ar fhorbairt eagraíochta, ar na caighdeáin rialachais is airde a chothabháil agus ar chaidreamh a bhainistiú le páirtithe leasmhara.

Dícharbónú


Forbraíonn agus feidhmíonn an Rannóg um Dhícharbónú creataí rialála atá ag teastáil chun earnáil fuinnimh na hÉireann a dhícharbónú de réir bheartas an Rialtais.

Tá an Rannóg freagrach as creataí rialála a fhorbairt le haghaidh fuinneamh in-athnuaite amach ón gcósta, téamh ceantair agus earnálacha nua mar hidrigin atá ag teacht chun cinn. Tá an Rannóg freagrach freisin as beartas um nascadh leictreachais, rialáil idirnascairí, tionscadail maidir le cúrsaí comhleasa, agus as comhordú ghníomhaíochtaí CRU faoi Phlean Gníomhaíochta na hÉireann ar son na hAeráide.

Commissioners

Commissioner Jim Gannon - Chairperson

Jim has been a member of the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) since October 2019 and was appointed Chairperson in February 2023. Jim previously served as the CEO of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, and before that role worked for 15 years in the private sector within the engineering and energy industry. Jim is a graduate of NUI Galway, the University of Wales Aberystwyth and he holds an MBA from the UCD Smurfit School of Business.

Commissioner Fergal Mulligan

Fergal has been a member of the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) since May 2024. Fergal previously worked as 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 have access to high-speed broadband under the National Broadband Plan. He previously held a senior management role with the telecoms regulator ComReg and various accounting and audit positions, including with PricewaterhouseCoopers 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.

Commissioner Tanya Harrington

Dr. Harrington has been a member of the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) since September 2024. She previously worked as Chief Regulatory Affairs Officer at An Post, where she was responsible for economic regulatory risk management and compliance. Dr. Harrington has held leadership positions with Powerscourt, advising a range of Ireland’s largest companies on matters of public policy, government affairs and economic regulation across a range of regulated sectors. At the NTR Foundation she delivered on the Foundation’s mandate to address the challenges posed by climate change, resource sustainability and security of energy supply. She has also served as a Ministerial Advisor at the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and the Department of Transport. She is a former Head of Energy at IBEC. She holds a Doctorate in Governance QUB, an MSSc in European Integration QUB, and BA in History and German, UCD.

Directors

Phil Hemmingway - Director of Decarbonisation

Phil is the Director of the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) Decarbonisation Division having joined the organisation in 2020. Phil oversees the CRU offshore economic, electricity connections policy, district heating and new & emerging regulatory frameworks teams. Phil previously held the following roles: Head of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) Research & Technology Department; Assistant Professor at UCD; energy consultant at RPS Group and Manager at Science Foundation Ireland. He holds Bachelors (engineering) & Doctoral (energy) degrees from UCD.

Karen Kavanagh - Stiúrthóir Líonraí agus Rialáil Eacnamaíochta

Karen was appointed as the Director of Networks and Economic Regulation in Feb 2022, having previously been Director of Economic Regulation (Water) and Compliance. Karen has over 20 years’ experience in economic regulation across the utilities and telecommunications sectors. She has a BSc. in Applied Science and a PhD. in Physics from the Technological University Dublin. She also holds an MSc. in Economic Policy Studies from Trinity College Dublin and an Advanced Diploma in Quasi-Judicial Decision-Making from King's Inns.

Loretta Lambkin - Director of Operations and Organisational Development

Loretta joined the CRU in 2019 as the Director of Operations and Organisational Development.  Prior to joining CRU, Loretta was the Chief Officer of An Bord Pleanála (6 years). She has also held the posts of acting Chief Executive and Director of Marketing for the Dublin Docklands Development Authority and Marketing Manager at Diageo plc. Loretta is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin (B.A. Geography and Sociology) and UCD (M.A. Geography) and holds an MBA from the University of Maryland, USA.

Karen Trant - Director of Customer Policy & Protection

Karen joined the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) in 2006. Karen was appointed Director of Energy Networks and Legal in 2018 and more recently has been appointed as Director of Customer Policy & Protection a new division within the CRU. Karen has responsibility for Retail Markets, Active Customers & Clean Energy Package including Smart Metering. Karen also has responsibility for Customer Care, Compliance and Enforcement and remains Director of Legal which provides advice to the organisation on all legal matters. Karen is a graduate of Queen’s University Belfast where she completed an LLB in Law and is a qualified solicitor with the Law Society of Ireland. Karen also holds an Advanced Diploma in Corporate, White Collar and Regulatory Crime (Kings Inns) and a Diploma in Regulatory Law and Practice (Law Society of Ireland).

​John Melvin - Director of Security of Supply and Wholesale

John was appointed as the Director of Energy Networks and Legal in 2016 and is currently Director of Security of Supply and Wholesale. John is responsible for overseeing gas and electricity Security of Supply and the wholesale all-island electricity market (SEM) in cooperation with the Utility Regulator in Belfast. He is a graduate of University College Dublin where he completed a B.Eng in Mechanical Engineering, and also holds a M.Sc. in Finance from the Smurfit School of Business.

Loretta Joyce- Director of Energy Safety

Loretta joined the CRU in 2016. Loretta was appointed Director of Energy Safety in 2023. Loretta previously held roles in the CRU as Compliance and Enforcement Senior Manager, Gas Safety Framework Manager and Safety Supervisory Body Manager. She has also worked as an Inspector in the Environmental Protection Agency and Waste Enforcement Manager on behalf of local authorities as well as in the private medical diagnostics sector. Loretta holds a B.Sc in Biotechnology and Masters in Environmental Protection as well as a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Management.