Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I accept that there are serious questions and I can assure the Deputy that there is no question of our developing an export trade in this sector unless we are confident that our own targets will be met. I can assure the Deputy that is the case and I think I am correct in saying that technically the directive requires that we meet our domestic targets before we can engage in such export trade. This can be checked. The Deputy knows as well that, with regard to the 40% target, which he described as ambitious - which it is - there is a limit to how much wind the grid can take. We are a leader in that regard in Europe and the professional and technical competence of EirGrid is acknowledged. We have not yet agreed any royalties, taxes or anything else with the British Government.

I signed a memorandum of understanding with my UK counterpart, Mr. Ed Davey, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, in Dublin at the beginning of the year. Two teams are working on it to flush it out into a full-scale intergovernmental agreement. The Deputy is correct that if only the economics of it stack up, that it will become a reality. Of course, there has to be benefit to Ireland. If I were selling cattle to Britain, I would not propose to give them away.

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