Brian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Section 4 of the Bill facilitates the continuing operation of the single electricity market, SEM. It is a very important section and the only one that deals with what is already truly an all-Ireland situation. It shows the direct benefit of an all-Ireland economy, of which the SEM is a brilliant example. It must be maintained after Brexit if we are to continue it benefits for householders, businesses and the environment, North and South. The SEM, which works on a 32-county basis, has been in place for a decade. It is the perfect example of the benefits of operating on an all-Ireland basis. We have created an integrated model of infrastructure that proves the immense potential of this island. The new market rules for the integrated single electricity market, I-SEM, were launched last year and it is reported that it could cut energy bills for businesses and householders by up to €200 million a year. A key element in addressing climate change, protecting the environment and using it sustainably, and maintaining the supply of electricity is the SEM, which is an all-island basis for meeting our energy needs.

Stopping power infrastructure at the Border will not benefit customers across the island and will make it more difficult for both the Six Counties and the Twenty-six Counties to develop diverse forms of renewable energy. In the future, our energy grid will be powered by a variety of energy types from different sources in order to displace fossil fuels. To keep the lights on, these need to feed into an all-island grid in order to best maintain supply. Having two separate electricity grids back to back on this island would make no sense for customers, suppliers, operators or generators of electricity. This island can be a world leader when it comes to renewable power. Wave and tidal power resources have immense potential and, again, are most feasible on an all-island basis. Natural sources of power such as wind and water do not stop at borders so the infrastructure to harness them cannot do so either

Following Brexit there will also be security of energy supply issues in terms of our gas supply, which comes from Britain, and our oil reserves, held in Britain and the Six Counties. Almost 50% of our electricity is generated from natural gas and most of this gas comes through the interconnector with Britain. I heard the Minister replying on this matter earlier in the context of whether tariffs will apply. We believe further work needs to be done on this. We must consider that with the point of entry of that gas into Britain - I do not use the term "UK" because I am not sure what it stands for - and the point of exit from there into this country, there are two points of contention at which tariffs could be introduced.

There is also the issue of environmental protection, which is not mentioned in the Bill. Ensuring that we maintain good air and water quality, for example, needs some cross-Border co-operation. That will have to be monitored and we will need to be vigilant. These are matters that are not separated by a border, hard or soft.

Communications, too, could see radical change with any possible reintroduction of roaming charges on this island. In June 2017, the European Union scrapped additional charges for roaming when travelling to another EU country. Thousands of people cross the Border every day. Some have farms that straddle the Border. Students, workers and others will face huge hikes if those charges are reintroduced. Before the rules changed, using a mobile phone in Europe was expensive, as many people discovered when they came back from trips abroad to find bills for hundreds or even thousands of euro waiting for them. If Britain crashes out of the EU, we will have to watch that roaming charges are not reintroduced.

Sinn Féin will be supporting the thrust of this section of the Bill. We know that it is important for all 36 counties of Ireland and for businesses and families, North and South. We will be putting forward an amendment to strengthen the Bill. We want to work with other parties in the Oireachtas to expedite this.

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