I would draw the Deputy’s attention to the reply I gave in this house on 24 October.
There is extensive North/South cooperation on a range of issues in the areas of Energy, Communications and Broadcasting, which are under the remit of my Department. Staff discharge this work in addition to other functions in the relevant areas.
The extensive co-operation under the Joint Steering Group on Energy established between the departments North and South has yielded significant results to date, including the establishment of a Single Electricity Market (SEM) for the island of Ireland which has been operational for several years. In addition to cooperation on that front, the multi-million euro investment in Project Kelvin, involving North-South Direct International Telecoms Connectivity and a coordinated approach to the Digital TV switch-over process on the island of Ireland have been particular highlights. My department has also contributed to the very successful collaborative INTERREG projects across the sectors in recent years.
The priority areas going forward include:
- offshore renewable energy projects
- establishing common arrangements for gas on the island
- A €180 million investment on a cross-border electricity link to double the existing cross-border transfer capacity
- A cooperative approach to security of energy supply on the island of Ireland
- Continued interaction between the Communications Regulators: ComReg and Ofcom.
- Continued Geological cooperation on cross border geo-environmental mapping and hydrographic surveys to support exploration
In addition there is significant cooperation with Northern Ireland as part of the British-Irish Council (BIC) given the mutual interest among BIC Members in energy security
The North-South Coordination is a function of the Corporate Support area in my Department. This includes co-ordination of inputs to the NSMC plenary sessions and representation at Principal level on the Interdepartmental North-South Co-ordination Group chaired by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The Unit involves Officials at Principal, Higher executive Officer and Executive Officer level who carry out this work in addition to other co-ordination and cross cutting functions.
Finally, the North/South Body, the Loughs Agency of the Foyle, Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission is under the co-sponsorship of my Department and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Northern Ireland, and staff in the Natural Resources areas of my Department service this work in addition to their other duties.
