Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 June 2005
49 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the efforts he has made to promote an all-island energy market; his views on recent problems with the all-Ireland connector; if he has had any opportunity to raise this with his counterpart in the Northern Ireland Office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19895/05]
View answer225 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the position in regard to the availability of electricity interconnectors; the extent to which supplies are transmittable currently and in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20359/05]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 49 and 225 together.
Since my appointment as Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, I have made it one of my priorities to continue the efforts of my predecessors in securing the development of the all-island energy market.
On 22 November 2004, in conjunction with my then Northern counterpart, the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment, Mr. Barry Gardiner MP, I published the framework for the all-island energy market. This document is basically a blueprint for the development of the market and sets out the principles in accordance with which the market is to be developed. Most importantly, it also sets out a detailed list of priority objectives to be achieved if an effective all-island market is to be established and identifies time-scales within which this needs to be done.
Since the publication of the framework document, both regulators, North and South, have been engaged in developing the high-level principles governing the creation of a single electricity market, SEM. This has involved widespread consultation with industry and other relevant bodies and a final decision on this matter was issued by the regulators last Friday. The regulators are now continuing their work in developing the precise detail for the operation of the SEM by July 2007, the date set out in the framework document.
At the same time, officials from my Department, with their colleagues in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, have been examining what needs to be done in order to put in place the necessary legal framework that is required to underpin the SEM.
I can confirm that I met the new Northern Ireland Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment, Ms Angela Smith, at the Energy Ireland Conference in Dublin on Monday of this week and have arranged to meet Minister Smith again later this month on 21 June in Limavady, where we will be meeting with members of the joint steering group that is driving this process forward. This group comprises representatives of the two regulatory authorities as well as officials of both Departments, North and South, and the meeting will provide an opportunity for both Ministers to receive a detailed progress report on the work to date. I expect that Minister Smith and I will issue a joint statement at that time reconfirming our commitment to the process and identifying new initiatives to be taken within the coming months.
The question of the operation of the existing North-South interconnector is a matter for the two network operators, North and South, and is not one in which I have a function. I understand that the interconnector is suffering from knock-on-effects from a transformer failure; there are no problems with the interconnector itself. I expect that the agencies concerned will rectify problems as soon as technically feasible.
