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

Deputy Tóibín adopts a conciliatory tone of support for an interconnector but he has a very funny way of supporting it because effectively he is opposing it. It is a considerable parliamentary talent to be able to present obstruction and opposition in reasonable tones. Some mornings I wake up and hope I live long enough to see Deputies Tóibín and Mary Lou McDonald being given responsibility for doing something, as distinct from talking up opposition to everything.

This project has been planned for ten years. Deputy Tóibín says he accepts there is urgency around it.

If he does not accept it, if he talks to his colleagues in Northern Ireland where they have real concerns about security of supply in the not too distant future, they will reinforce the point of view for him.

A route specific analysis was undertaken by PB Power for Eirgrid and there was the international commission to which the parties that comprise the current Government committed. It was carried out by experts from Scandinavia and Belgium and their conclusions are in the public domain. All I can say at this stage is that we should leave it to Mrs. Justice McGuinness to opine. I have explained that I have put the case to her and she, in turn, has undertaken to examine with her expert independent panel what, if anything, they can do to assist in this situation because it appears that the Deputy and I are agreed that the country needs an interconnector that is fit for purpose and that, which not being in place, is costing between €20 million and €30 million per annum. There is some urgency attaching to this matter, particularly in Northern Ireland, and we have to let the process in place work itself out.

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