Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It has a commercial relationship but it is not in competition. The Minister has made that point. Where is its commercial sensitivity? Guard the commercial sensitivity of all its suppliers, but EirGrid is only in the transmission business, not the buying and selling. Its primary function is to build a grid and let people plug into it. It charges them for carrying the product, which happens to be electricity. Perhaps I will have to draft a more refined amendment on Report Stage. The provision of the grid is the establishment, building and putting in place of the grid, including the sub-stations and everything else. That must be subject to greater public scrutiny. That is my point. I fully accept that its dealings with different power generating companies is commercial in respect of the cost of connecting them in and out, when it brings them in and out and so forth. That is a commercial business and we can understand that. However, this is the provision of the infrastructure. It is a little like the National Roads Authority, NRA. It provides roads and everybody can use them afterwards. These people are providing the roads for the transmission of electricity. I am referring to the establishment of its network rather than its commercial dealings. I will refine a wording on that specific aspect of its activities.