Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)

The North-South interconnector is an essential transmission infrastructure project that will link the electricity transmission network between South and North on the island of Ireland, leading to a much more secure, affordable and sustainable supply of electricity across the island, operating in a single electricity market. The project is fully consented in the State and in the North, with full planning permission granted for overhead lines in both jurisdictions. Once complete, the North-South interconnector will facilitate the connection of 900 MW of renewable generation, which is enough to power 600,000 homes. It is an incredibly significant project that is of critical importance to all citizens on the whole island.

In March 2023, the Government noted and published an independent report on the project, which concluded it would not be feasible to run the North-South interconnector underground. That was the third review of the project and it confirmed that the findings of the 2018 report remained valid.

As a transmission project, it is being undertaken by EirGrid, which is independently regulated by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, The CRU is accountable to the relevant Oireachtas committee and not to me, as Minister. The Government does not have any role in the delivery of the electricity infrastructure on the ground. In February, EirGrid announced a delay in the completion of the North-South interconnector. Following this, I met with it and set out that this Government supports electricity grid delivery and that the interconnector was central to it. Separately in March, I responded to correspondence from Monaghan County Council setting out the Government's support for this project and I asked the council to engage with EirGrid. My officials and I will continue to work to support the quickest possible delivery of electricity grid projects and the North-South interconnector.

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