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Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill

I did not hear the Deputy Chairman call Clause 23 but I should like to speak to it now for probing purposes. The encouragement of a wider and more integrated electricity market is to be encouraged. It should bring benefits to companies and their shareholders and to consumers. However, I should like to take this opportunity to address some concerns raised by those interested in the development of energy markets and to question the Minister on this area. As I understand it, a newly integrated market between north and south will lead to competition mainly between ESB, the dominant state-owned electricity supplier in the Republic of Ireland, and Veridian, a private company in Northern Ireland. I know that the population in the Republic will be extremely happy to hear that this competition will be starting. The General Consumer Council for Northern Ireland sees this as a great opportunity for increased competition to lead to better services and cheaper electricity for consumers on both sides of the border. However, there are clearly concerns about how fair the competition can be between a private company and one that is supported by Republic of Ireland taxpayers. Can the Minister explain what steps are being taken to ensure that integration goes as smoothly as possible? In addition to greater integration between north and south, I should like to hear what is being done to support greater integration between east and west. The Moyle Interconnector between Tandragee and Louth is vital for energy security for the whole of Ireland, and this success is surely a good basis for increasing competition between the islands as well. As energy markets are being integrated across western Europe, what are the Government doing to make sure that there is sufficient capacity for the benefits of this trend to be felt throughout the region? I thank the Deputy Chairman for allowing me to break the rules.