Enterprise, Trade and Investment

Part of Oral Answers to Questions – in the Northern Ireland Assembly at 2:15 pm on 19 March 2013.

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Photo of Arlene Foster Arlene Foster DUP 2:15, 19 March 2013

The UK renewable road map, which was published in July 2011, sets out the Government's intention to enable the export and import of renewable energy under the flexibility mechanisms in the renewable energy directive in order to secure the greatest benefit to the whole of the UK.

Although the renewable energy directive contains a provision to enable co-operation across Europe, the detailed practical arrangements, which are largely left to member states to determine, are still to be worked out.  That is why the memorandum of understanding is aspirational at present.  A huge amount of analytical work needs to be carried out, particularly, from our perspective, on the impacts that such trading would have on Northern Ireland.  Obviously, we do not want offshore energy from the Republic of Ireland to be traded into the UK, thereby skewing the renewable obligations under which we operate currently.

That is why I believe that we need to be at the heart of any discussions between the UK Government and the Irish Government on this issue.