Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

We are all aware of the human and real concerns. Nobody has a monopoly on human or real concerns. The Deputy certainly does not have one over me. I am simply making the point, which must be made in this House and elsewhere, that the common good has to take over here. We deal with issues according to proper safety standards and so on, but the idea that everyone is being put at risk by reason of promoting transmission systems we have used here for years is not an honest way of proceeding, to be frank.

To come back to the original question, Deputy Barrett makes a good point regarding the level of integration of our various energy and electricity systems on these islands and in what way we can promote better integration and greater economies of scale while achieving a better prospect of more competitive pricing, etc. Scotland's First Minister, Mr. Alex Salmond, and his Administration has the lead responsibility in respect of energy matters under the British-Irish Council format. Arising from the question, I have asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs to write to the First Minister asking him to set out a paper at our next meeting in June, if possible, as to the current level of integration, the proposed plans and the prospects or options they see, as the Administration with the lead responsibility in this area, in terms of co-operating more fully to achieve better outcomes.

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