asked the Minister for Energy if he has any plans to try to reactivate the North-South natural gas deal in view of the recent Anglo-Irish agreement.
10.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - North-South Gas and Electricity Links.
5.
asked the Minister for Energy if, in view of the need expressed in the Anglo-Irish agreement to (1) promote cross-Border co-operation and (2) encourage economic and social development in Northern Ireland, the Government will request the British Government to reopen negotiations on the possibility of developing North-South gas and electricity links.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 and 10 together. I am very anxious to see progress made on the restoration of the North-South electricity interconnector, because of the significant benefits it would provide, both economically and strategically. However, the present position is that the interconnector, which was commissioned in 1970, has been out of action since 1975, due to malicious damage on the Northern side of the Border. The situation is being kept under review and any opportunity that may arise for restoration of the link will be availed of.
As regards the supply of gas to Northern Ireland, the British Government have withdrawn from this project. In July an order providing for the run-down of the gas industry in Northern Ireland was passed by the British Parliament and I understand that practically all of the undertakings involved have taken decisions to close. Financial assistance is being provided by the British Government to enable consumers to switch from gas to other energy forms.
Do I take it that it is now the Minister's view as expressed in the answer that there is no future for a reactivation of the North-South gas deal? In view of the fact that the British Government have already decided to provide assistance for customers of the gas industry in the North to switch over to solid fuel and obviously the British Government are accepting that thousands of jobs are going to be lost and the close down of the gas industry will cost the British Treasury £120 million, does he see any realistic possibility of reactivating that deal in view of the commitment given in the Anglo-Irish agreement for North-South co-operation?
The Deputy will be aware that I made a statement on 22 October 1985 in which I said that the Irish Government would be looking at this in the context of further gas discoveries. At this time it is very difficult to say if there will be a revival of the project. Planning is going on in the South for the development of the national grid on the east coast. I will still be encouraging the British Government to have a second look at this. There may be an opportunity in the Inter-Governmental Conference to have a look at the energy question on the whole island. I believe our position has always been reasonable and certainly we will maintain that reasonableness in the discussions with the British Government.
Would the Minister accept that, because the British Government have so decided and things are moving along apace in relation to a switch over to solid fuels, unless that decision-making process stops now there will be no realistic opportunity to reactivate the North-South gas deal? Furthermore, would he not accept that one of the flagships of good faith to be expressed by both Governments in the context of the Inter-Governmental Conference would be that such a proposal would be put back on the table straight away before we go to the point of no return? Only on that basis will we know whether good faith is really forthcoming. I am sure the Minister will also agree with me that the North will be the only part of the EC that will be deprived of the benefit of natural gas if the British Government hold the ground that they have held over the last two years.
Obviously, there is no doubt as to the significance of an indication from the British Government that they would reconsider. Some work is still going on in Northern Ireland. The chairman of the Belfast Gas Company is still looking for possible investors in the gas company in Northern Ireland. On a longer term, I believe in the extension of the national gas grid to this whole island and that this island will be well served if we have interconnection to the European natural gas grid.
I am talking about those people over the water. Have they any interest?
Proinsias de Rossa
Will the Minister indicate whether he proposes to raise or arrange to have raised at the Inter-governmental Conference the supply of gas to Northern Ireland and the question of the cross-Border ESB connector? Will he indicate if he considers that such a development would provide a significant cause for the reduction of tensions by having jobs and economic development both North and South?
As I indicated in my reply, I am in favour of both the restoration of the interconnector and of the pipeline for gas to Northern Ireland. In relation to the gas projects I think I have clarified the situation. We are willing to and certainly would renegotiate with the British in relation to the interconnector. There are security implications which would not be appropriate to go into in this House, but in the longer term obviously it would be wise to restore the interconnector.
Proinsias de Rossa
Does the Minister propose to have this matter raised at the Inter-Governmental Conference?
Yes. I apologise. It was part of the Deputy's question. The agenda for the Inter-Governmental Conference is not yet finalised. The Deputy will appreciate that I do not want to pre-empt that agenda but my intention is to have discussions in due course along those lines.
"In due course" may be too late. Would the Minister not agree that it should be on the agenda for the first Inter-Governmental Conference meeting? Let us find out where we stand so that we will not have gone beyond the point of no return in relation to the switch over to solid fuel in the North. I know the willingness that exists on this side, but we want to establish whether any such quid pro quo willingness exists on the other side. We want to find out pretty quickly in relation to our planning. Would he not consider that it should be put on the agenda for the first meeting of the Anglo-Irish Conference to find out whether there is any purpose in pursuing it at all?
I shall send Deputy Reynolds a copy of my statement of 22 October 1985——
I am very familiar with it.
I shall send him another copy personally inscribed and it will give in full a clear indication of my position in relation to gas in Northern Ireland, and my intention is to raise the discussion as quickly as possible.
We all know the Minister's view but we do not know what the British Government are thinking.