Enterprise, Trade and Investment

Part of Oral Answers to Questions – in the Northern Ireland Assembly at 2:00 pm on 19 March 2013.

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Photo of Arlene Foster Arlene Foster DUP 2:00, 19 March 2013

The Member knows that I am on record as being very concerned about the slow pace of the North/South interconnector.  As I understand it, NIE is planning to resubmit its application for the Northern Ireland element of the interconnector in the near future.  That application will then go to the Planning Appeals Commission, probably for a public inquiry.  It is my hope that the commission will deal with the application as expeditiously as it can, because this matter is becoming urgent for security of supply and, indeed, for ensuring that we have that grid infrastructure in place.

The Member raised another important issue about the grid infrastructure; and I presume that he was referring to the west of the country where a lot of our wind energy and new anaerobic digesters are located, although not uniquely so.  I am concerned that we need to make sure that we have the appropriate grid in place.  Now, there are many discussions about who pays for that grid — whether that should be the consumers or the companies that are in charge of transmission and distribution.  However, we must make sure that we have the appropriate grid for all sorts of reasons, not least the fact that we need to make sure that the lights stay on across Northern Ireland.

Granville Industrial Estate, Dungannon