Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)

The 2004 all-island energy market framework agreed by the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources and Northern Ireland's Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment sets out clearly the benefits that might accrue if the single market comes through, making the island a more stable and attractive investment location, increasing competitiveness, extending diversity, particularly in renewables, having a better energy infrastructure, increasing all-island efficiency and longer-term savings through rationalisation of functions and regulations, and improving the organisation of energy research. These all are attractive aims, if they can be achieved. From that point view, it is to be welcomed that the legislation is finally before the House today.

I stated also that the key point is that the astonishing results so far of deregulation in Northern Ireland and in the Republic, of privatisation in Northern Ireland and a threatened and attempted privatisation in the South is that we have had ever-increasing electricity and gas prices.

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