Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

On the question of the UK and the gas grid, since 2011, the UK and Irish system operators have arrangements in place to provide Ireland with assistance in the event of a gas supply emergency. Typically, National Grid and Gas Networks Ireland meet every six months to discuss matters of mutual interest and to complement these arrangements and the regional approach to emergency planning. The last such meeting was in April of this year.

Typically, they have a joint protocol for load-shedding in the event of gas supply emergencies between Gas Networks Ireland and National Grid and, in the event of a natural gas supply emergency being declared by the network operator in the UK, the interconnector system, IC1 and IC2, will be treated by National Grid in the same way as the distribution network in Great Britain. As I said, I met the UK Minister in August and I am due to meet them again but we are waiting for the UK Government to appoint a new Cabinet after the appointment of a new Prime Minister. We are continuing to review, deepen and strengthen that relationship if we need it.