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

The operation of the electricity grid is a matter for the commercial State companies concerned and is not one in which I have a function; neither do have I a role in making a statement on the operation of the grid in another jurisdiction.

However, on a more general note, my views and the views of Government on energy infrastructure, which includes the electricity grid, are outlined clearly in the 2012 Government policy statement on the strategic importance of transmission and other energy infrastructure. As stated in that statement, energy is the lifeblood of Ireland’s economy and society. Electricity and gas demand for businesses and households must be met safely and securely on a continuous basis, 365 days a year. Our ability to attract and retain foreign direct investment and sustain Irish enterprise depends on guaranteeing energy supply at competitive cost at all times. Ireland needs to deliver a world class electricity transmission system which meets its needs in the 21st century.

EirGrid is the independent State-owned body responsible for the operation, development and maintenance of the electricity transmission system. It is licensed as the electricity transmission system operator, TSO, by the Commission for Energy Regulation, CER, and operates according to the provisions of this licence and under all relevant national and European legislation. The Government endorses the major investment under way in the high voltage electricity transmission system under EirGrid’s GRID25 programme. GRID25 is the most important investment in Ireland’s electricity transmission system for several generations and will position our energy system for decades to come. The GRID25 projects, including GridWest in Mayo, the Meath-Tyrone transmission line and GridLink in the south and east, are vital developments for the regions and for the economy and society as a whole.

It is Government policy and in the national interest, not least in the current economic circumstances, that these investment programmes are delivered in the most cost efficient and timely way possible, on the basis of the best available knowledge and informed engagement on the impacts and the costs of different engineering solutions.

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