Neale Richmond (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I raise this matter with the post-Brexit era in mind and in view of the difficulties we are facing. There are many issues with which we must deal. Some of them are complex and some are not of our making but their resolution will be very tricky and may take some time, both for the UK and European sides. There are some, however, which I believe can be resolved quite early and quite simply, one of which is energy security. Ireland is largely reliant on energy imports from the UK and, while I hope this continues, it would be prudent to secure our supply by looking further afield into the European Union. The easiest way to do this is by the completion of the Celtic Interconnector. The EU designation of this project as one of common interest, meaning it has been allocated 50% of funding in the past week, is welcome and we need to grab the bull by the horns and bring the project to fruition as quickly as possible. We need to work with our counterparts in France and the wider EU so that we will have the option of getting an energy supply from France as well as the UK.

I ask the Minister to outline what stage the application is at for the foreshore licence to land the line in Ireland, and what dealings have been held by EirGrid and its French counterparts in RTE. How is the Government working with its counterparts in France and the European Commission to bring this project to fruition?