Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 154: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he will report on the progress of the Single Electricity Market Bill; if there are outstanding issues to be resolved with his counterparts in Northern Ireland; if the SEM will go live on the revised 1 November 2007 deadline; if it does not the measures that are in place; if proposals were brought to him regarding the potential takeover of the Northern Irish transmission network by the ESB; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5317/07]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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The Electricity Regulation (Amendment) (Single Electricity Market) Bill was published on 20 November 2006. The Bill passed Second Stage in Dail Eireann on 30 November 2006 and Committee Stage on 31 January 2007. Report Stage is scheduled for 14 February 2007. There are no outstanding issues, in relation to the Bill, to be resolved with the Northern Ireland Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment.

Both Governments remain fully committed to the introduction of the Single Electricity Market by 1 November 2007 and I am confident that this target will be met. The legislation in both jurisdictions, required to underpin the market, is progressing to schedule. In addition, the work being carried out by the regulators and the transmission system operators in designing the market is on schedule.

There are no proposals to establish an all-island transmission network company. The establishment of a single transmission system operator for the island of Ireland has been identified as a longer-term objective within the All-island Framework document. Any decision to proceed with such a development would, of course, be subject to agreement with the Northern Ireland authorities.