Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)

The Minister might outline some of the circumstances he envisages whereby an interconnector might be constructed without a competitive tender. As he has hinted, I presume the ESB might be directed to build one without a competitive tender. However, years ago in the local authorities, if a particular project was going for private tender, the local authorities would tender themselves in order to test the framework for their own contract. By doing this, they could see if they could do it as well.

I do not wish to be obtuse. It might be somewhat beneficial to have that safeguard there and not slow the process down. I can understand that in an emergency situation, the process might go ahead without a competitive tender. One should remember that according to all reports, even in an emergency situation it would take a number of years, or at least one year, to build an interconnector. I am wondering what kind of emergency situation could arise that would force everybody to avoid the competitive tendering process and proceed on an emergency basis where it could take five years for the emergency to come about? I am not sure the idea is soundly based.

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