Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

There is a very definite need for this North-South interconnector. It is critical to ensuring that we have a safe, secure supply of electricity throughout the island of Ireland. It also supports the core objectives of European and national energy policy: sustainability, security of supply and competitiveness. The benefits associated with the project will include an increase in competitiveness by reducing costs for energy consumers through more efficient operation of the electricity system on the island of Ireland. A key barrier to the efficient operation of the single electricity market since 2007 has been the limited interconnection between the electricity systems in Ireland and Northern Ireland with only one high capacity interconnector between the two electricity systems. They cannot operate as a single system. This limits the benefits that can be derived from the single electricity market. This project will ensure that the efficiencies in the single electricity market are fully realised to the benefit of the energy consumers.

Security of supply will be increased. The planning process has been dealt with. It has gone for judicial review and that is the process by which these projects are brought forward.

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