Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

As I said yesterday, all these issues will be dealt with in the White Paper. We published a Green Paper and there has been a good, wide consultation process. The White Paper will be published shortly. We have engaged with the wider market on all the issues mentioned by the Deputy. Obviously, we have had discussions with Airtricity, the ESB and others. They have a view and input on this issue. It is not up to us to direct them. We must make the policy decisions and we will do that.

There is a Cabinet committee on this issue and a large number of Ministers have been involved in it. They worked on the preparation of the Green Paper and are working on the White Paper, which will be brought forward by the Minister, Deputy Noel Dempsey. The White Paper, as well as the new national climate change strategy, will be brought forward before Easter. It is not fair to state the interconnector has been delayed for four years. Work on the interconnector is ongoing. We cannot move more quickly on it. I was with the Minister when he outlined that to the press conference.

We have increased wind energy in the system by 600% in a three year period. The Deputy knows I have supported that. EirGrid is the independent transmission system operator; it is independent of the ESB.

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