Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 February 2004
157 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if, in view of the Government’s plans to construct two electricity interconnectors between Ireland and Wales, in order to import electricity from the UK, he has received a guarantee that electricity imported from such a source is not generated by nuclear means; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5408/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland remains opposed to the use of nuclear energy on grounds that the environmental, health and safety risks and impact outweigh the benefits. Under the Electricity Regulation Act 1999 nuclear power cannot be used for the production of electricity in Ireland.
It is not possible to guarantee that electricity imported over the proposed east-west interconnector will not be generated from nuclear sources. It is not physically possible to prevent the flow of nuclear generated electricity onto the network. This is the case with the existing interconnection between Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland through the Moyle interconnector.
The EU Electricity Directive 2003/54/EC concerns common rules for the internal market in electricity and repeals Directive 96/92/EC. It avoids an imbalance in the opening of electricity markets, the supply of electricity to customers deemed eligible in other member states shall not be prohibited. The directive is scheduled to be transposed into Irish law by 1 July 2004. However, the earliest date for commencement of construction work on an east-west interconnector is the end of 2006.
The implementation of the electricity directive means that all electricity suppliers must meet certain requirements. They must specify in or with electricity bills and promotional material, made available to final customers, the contribution of each energy source to the overall fuel mix of the supplier over the preceding year. Suppliers will also be obliged to specify existing reference sources, such as web pages, where information on the environmental impact, in terms of at least emissions of CO2 and the radioactive waste resulting from the electricity produced by the overall fuel mix of the supplier over the preceding year, is publicly available.
I am confident, given the known popular opposition to nuclear energy in Ireland, that suppliers would not knowingly contract for electricity imports clearly traceable to nuclear stations or that Irish consumers would knowingly buy any. There is simply no business case for selling nuclear energy in Ireland.
