Anne Ferris (Wicklow, Labour)
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1126. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide an update on his Department's knowledge on the progress of the Codling Windpark project; if this project still retains European Union common interest status; if so, the reason this is the case, in view of the lack of the necessary import-export plans to the United Kingdom; if the Codling proposal is still seeking support for interconnection via the Irish-Scottish Links on Energy Study; if the Government is supporting any of these initiatives in any way; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22164/15]

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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With regard to the proposed Codling Windpark project, I understand that the developer holds a foreshore lease from the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government. Securing a grid connection for the project is ultimately a matter for the project developer and the relevant statutory bodies. All applications to EirGrid and ESB Networks seeking connection to the Irish grid are listed on the EirGrid website at the following link: . The processing of all applications for connection to the Irish Grid is a matter for the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER). The CER has statutory responsibility for the regulation of the electricity market.

Separately, to help create an integrated EU energy market, the European Commission has drawn up a list of projects of common interest (PCIs) across the EU. These projects may, subject to certain requirements, benefit from accelerated licensing procedures, improved regulatory conditions, and access to financial support from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) between 2014 and 2020.

EU Regulation No. 1391/2013 lists the projects of common interest adopted in October 2013 by the European Commission. None of the adopted projects of common interest are related to the connection for Codling Bank wind farm.

The Regulation provides that the list of projects will be updated every two years, and a process is currently underway to adopt the second list of PCIs. A decision is expected before end 2015.

PCI projects associated with renewable energy trading to the United Kingdom would be subject to an appropriate framework that would be set out in an Inter-Governmental Agreement. It should be noted that given the economic, policy and regulatory complexities involved, and some key decisions that the UK is not yet in a position to take, delivery before 2020 of renewable energy trading is not a realistic proposition. Further information on the PCI process and the projects involved can be found at the following link: .

It should be noted that the objective of ISLES is to investigate the feasibility of an offshore interconnected grid, and identify steps to reducing barriers to delivering this grid. The nature of work to date has been exploratory and focused on the potential for the region as a whole, rather than developing specific transmission projects.