John Gilroy (Labour) | Oireachtas source

However, if some people are in favour, the debate should be held honestly. That is the second point.

Third, if the grid is being upgraded and if capacity is being added to accommodate new and renewable energy sources, the question is whether it would be a good idea to ascertain whether it is possible to export some of this energy and whether that would make economic sense. In this context, one can consider the east-west interconnector, which is a cable 260 km in length that connects north Wales to north Dublin. It was noted in the Bord Gáis Éireann price index of last May that electricity is traded both ways and that the interconnector between north Wales and Dublin has contributed to the reduction in wholesale electricity prices. Who could be against that? Does one wish to keep energy prices high or is it a good idea to trade abroad any energy surplus one might have and to import energy when one is short of it? This makes absolute sense. I have attended public meetings at which it has been stated, as a serious point, that we would be exporting our wind. Why, for God's sake, would one not do that if one could?