Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the representatives. Having listened to the presentation and following on from Deputy Moynihan's questions, I cannot help but draw the conclusion that what is essentially being proposed to be constructed on a North-South basis is an energy one-way street that will predominantly benefit the economy of Northern Ireland in the short to medium term. This one-way energy street is being developed, as Deputy Moynihan said, with much pain south of the Border, with cables starting somewhere in County Meath and lattice structures going across the landscape into drumlin country in County Monaghan and across the Border into County Tyrone to a receiving station which, presumably, will then go underground.

The bulk of the lattices, structures and infrastructure will be in place south of the Border. The bulk of the undergrounding and benefit will be North of the Border. I do not want to be partitionist in any sense because this issue is probably being discussed in the Northern Ireland Assembly and I am sure the anti-partitionist party there is fully supportive of the interconnector due to the benefits it will bring to the economy of Northern Ireland. What benefits will it bring to the people of Counties Meath and Monaghan who will have to look at these things?

I come from a part of the country, the mid-west, which already has such things. It is festooned with lattice structures, which will not be taken down. Somebody raised a very legitimate point with me recently. If all of the interconnectors will be underground in the north, south, east, west or wherever, what about those already in existence from Loop Head in County Clare, into Tipperary, across Limerick, Laois and Offaly and into Dublin? From my point of view, the real risk area from an energy security point of view is Northern Ireland. I accept the fact that we are now consuming less than 20% of what we did at the height of the boom in the South. However, in the interim we have also developed a number of power stations, most recently Great Island in Wexford. One in Mayo has also come on stream. In my county, Limerick, wind farms have been constructed.

We south of the Border are getting our act together. What are those North of the Border doing, apart from asking the people in Counties Meath and Monaghan to put up with lattice structures? I know we are all part of the European Single Market and are supposed to be on board the European train, with which I have no difficulty. However, I am not happy with the concept of an energy one-way street being constructed.

It was mentioned that Northern Ireland is dependent on three thermal energy producing facilities and if one of them goes, it is at risk. If one had gone at any stage in the recent past it would have been at major risk. What has Northern Ireland been doing up to now, within the United Kingdom, for example, to meet its energy needs? Why is EirGrid ploughing ahead in some of the most picturesque and historic landscapes in the county? It stated it was not concerned about the facility in the west, which might go underground, as might that in the south.

Let us call a spade a spade - they will not benefit from it. It is the people and the economy of the Six Counties which will benefit. What is in it for the consumers of Meath and Monaghan?