John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for attending the House to discuss this important issue and the Ceann Comhairle for selecting it for discussion. In the short time available to me, I propose to make a couple of points.

There has been much media coverage in the past two weeks of a report that was commissioned by the ESB and submitted as part of the consultation process on the Government's Green Paper on Energy. Submissions on the Green Paper were taken over a number of weeks in the summer. The report deals in detail with the proposed upgrade of the national grid and various measures announced in 2008 which came to be collectively known as Grid 25.

The report goes into detail, outlining the fact that the expected increase in demand for electricity that was included in the Grid 25 project in 2008 will not materialise as was projected, for obvious reasons. Furthermore, the ESB stated that the Grid West and Grid Link projects should be reviewed so that the research reflects the latest evidence. There is a process in place in regard to the Grid Link project which stretches from Kildare to Great Island and east Cork.

In light of the fact that the increased demand which was projected in 2008 for electricity use in the country will not now materialise, and the comments of the ESB, which is the largest electricity supplier in the country, that this is the case, is it not now time that the Grid Link project and perhaps Grid West would be parked?

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