Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

The €5 billion community fund of the European economic plan must be matched. The Ireland to Wales interconnector has been included on the list and €110 million has been earmarked for that project. The list also contains a €165 million overall contribution towards the North Sea offshore grid which includes Ireland as a location along with the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, France and Luxembourg.

Ireland also expects to draw down funds from the broadband and CAP health check elements of the plan on the basis that the funding would be distributed using the same distribution key used to divide rural development funding. Ireland would receive approximately 3%, or €30 million, of the available funding with flexibility on the use of the investment for either broadband or CAP health check.

The supplementary funding required for the east west interconnector is being pursued with relevant funding interests to ensure it is funded at the lowest possible rate for EirGrid.

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