Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am sure the Minister's colleague in the North will be delighted to hear an interconnector is some clandestine mechanism to deliver Irish unity. To be quite clear, absolutely Sinn Féin wants to see an all-island integrated electricity network. That is why we want to pursue this infrastructure in a way that will have community support precisely so that we can deliver this interconnector. The Minister has told me he recalls his previous time in government when this issue was first mooted. He should also recognise we are no further on with the delivery of it almost 20 years after it was first mooted. My fear is the Minister's approach is simply to advocate what it is he thinks communities are saying rather than what they are actually saying. They are saying let us build this infrastructure but in a way that is credible, as determined by a previous report, and in a way that will have public acceptance. I do not know why this concept that we can deliver a key piece of vital infrastructure but with the support of local communities is so alien to the Minister and the Government. Without this support we will enter another period of prolonged delays and we will not see the end goal of this infrastructure in place.

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