90 Mr. Harte asked the Minister for Energy if he will make a statement on the need for a major electricity link between Northern Ireland and this State; the way in which such co-operation would help the economics of both parts of Ireland; 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 £5 million with similar savings to the electicity 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.
