Vol. 420 No. 9
61 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Energy the estimated additional cost to the ESB arising from the continued breach of the electricity interconnector with Northern Ireland; if he has had any recent discussions with the Northern Ireland authorities regarding the possible re-establishment of the interconnector; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The annual cost savings to the ESB if the interconnector were available are estimated to be of the order of £5 million with similar savings to the electricity sector in Northern Ireland.
The re-establishment of the North-South interconnector is reviewed on a regular basis between the electricity utilities on both sides of the Border. However, the question of its re-connection is a security matter, rather than one of technical or economic feasibility.
