Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 38: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the reason there has been a delay in establishing the single electricity market; his views on whether the SEM will go live from November 2007; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33416/06]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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The Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) and its Northern counterpart, NIAER, had set 1 July 2007 as the go-live date for the Single Electricity Market (SEM). However following extensive consultation with the transmission system operators and the industry, the regulators advised that the go-live date should be extended by four months to 1 November 2007.

In August 2006, I accepted that recommendation, as did the Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Peter Hain. We agreed that the SEM benefits can best be maximised by building into the project plan some additional time for project assurance, impact analysis and market trials. This will ensure that the challenges associated with the implementation of these complex arrangements are fully addressed for all parties including, most importantly, customers and market participants. It is essential that we give the regulators, the transmission system operators and industry the necessary time to finalise the design and implement the market so that it delivers key benefits to both economies.

Both Governments remain fully committed to the introduction of the Single Electricity Market during 2007, with full "go-live" of the market by November 2007, I am confident that this target will be met.