Staff Profiles

The CER is headed by up to three Commissioners at any one time.

At present there are two Commissioners, Dermot Nolan and Garrett Blaney. The Commissioners have agreed certain lead responsibilities between them.

There are four divisional Directors, each heading the CER’s functional divisions.

The responsibilities of the Commissioners and divisional Directors are shown below.

Dermot Nolan, Chairperson: Dermot Nolan has been a member of the Commission since July 2008 and Chairperson of the CER since late May 2011.
Dermot's lead responsibilities within the CER include retail electricity and gas, the Single Electricity Market (SEM), the CER's Smart Metering project, environmental policy and customer care matters.
He is also responsible for licensing, European regulatory matters, the CER's strategic planning and monitoring, as well as internal operations.
Garrett Blaney, Commissioner: Garrett Blaney has been a member of the Commission since February 2010.
Garrett's lead responsibilities within the CER relate to gas and electricity safety, electricity networks and interconnection as well as gas networks, licences and the Common Arrangements for Gas (CAG) project.
Garrett is also responsible for fuel disclosure, security of supply, conventional generation, research and development and the CER’s internal audit committee.
Eugene Coughlan, Director of Operations and Electricity Markets: Eugene Coughlan is the Director of the CER's Operations and Electricity Markets divisions.
The Electricity Markets division is responsible for overseeing the wholesale all-island electricity market (SEM) in cooperation with the Northern Ireland Regulator (NIAUR). The division also monitors security of supply and generation adequacy in Ireland, and is responsible for authorising and licensing the construction and operation of new "conventional" generation stations.
Eugene is Deputy Commissioner and also heads up the CER’s Operations division which includes the Business Information Centre (BIC), Human Resources (HR), Finance, IT and Facilities Management.
Denis Cagney, Director of Gas, Legal and Renewables: Denis Cagney is the Director of the CER’s Gas, Legal and Renewables division.
In relation to gas, this division regulates the natural gas network infrastructure in Ireland, oversees the retail gas market and approves charges by Bord Gais Energy Supply for natural gas supply. It is currently working with NIAUR on the design and development of a possible all-island gas market through the Common Arrangements for GAS (CAG) project.
On renewable matters the division is responsible for advising the CER in relation to renewable energy and the enviroment including the treatment of renewable generation in the SEM, licensing renewable generators and determining the Public Service Obligation (PSO) levy. Finally, the division also has a general role in advising the organisation on all legal matters.
Cathy Mannion, Director of Electricity Networks and Retail: Cathy Mannion is the Director of the CER's Electricity Networks and Retail division.
This division oversees the economic regulation and development of the electricity networks (transmission and distribution) in Ireland as well as approving charges for access to the networks and resolving disputes in the area of network connections. The division is also responsible for developing policy in relation to network connection, with increased emphasis on connection of renewable generators.
Cathy's division also licences electricity suppliers, regulates the end user prices charged by the public electricity supplier (ESB PES) to end customers and runs the Smart Metering Project.
Paul McGowan, Director of Safety and Customer Affairs: Paul McGowan is Director of the CER's Safety division and Director with responsibility for Customer Affairs.
The Safety Division is responsible for implementation of the petroleum safety framework, the gas safety framework and statutory electricity safety functions. These include the safety regulation of gas supply, transmission, distribution, storage and use of gas, the registration of electrical contractors and gas installers by bodies designated for this purpose by the CER and the regulation of designated upstream petroleum activities.
On customer affairs, Paul's division operates the CER's statutory complaints resolution function and information service for energy customers.