Vol. 482 No. 6
117 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Public Enterprise her views on the establishment of an electricity interconnector between the Republic and Northern Ireland; and if her attention has been drawn to detailed proposals, if any, in this regard. [18564/97]
The electricity systems on both sides of the Border are interconnected via a 275/220kv double circuit line between Dundalk Station, County Louth and Tandragee Station, County Armagh. This interconnector was out of commission for many years but has become fully operational again since March 1995 following the ceasefire in Northern Ireland.
This interconnector was supplemented in 1991 by the construction of two 110kv standby interconnectors from Letterkenny to Strabane and Swanlinbar to Enniskillen for which EU finding under the INTERREG programme was sought and received. These two interconnectors are used by the ESB and Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) to provide emergency back-up supply to Enniskillen and Letterkenny respectively.
A recent joint ESB-NIE feasibility study on cross-Border interconnection indicated that further interconnectors are dependent on reinforcement of the networks, particularly on NIE's side of the Border. The precise timing of this reinforcement is a matter for NIE but is unlikely to occur until after the year 2000.
