To ask the Minister for the Economy for an update on the development of the North South Interconnector.

Dr Archibald

The North/South interconnector project is essential in order to deliver an affordable and renewable energy system across the island. It is estimated that the cost to local electricity consumers due to the absence of the interconnector is £19 million per year. The interconnector will enable an additional 900 MW of clean electricity into the North’s transmission system and reduce levels of "dispatch down". Reliance on a single North/South interconnector means that the North’s power system has a single point of failure. A second interconnector will strengthen security of supply. I have been consistent in my position that the North/South interconnector should be undergrounded. In the North, on 14 September 2020, the then Infrastructure Minister granted planning permission for the interconnector. The Northern section is expected to be delivered by 2028. The completion date for the Southern section has been revised from 2028 to 2031. EirGrid, the system operator in the South, has advised that that is due to delays in processing land access and actual construction time. Last week, I met Minister O’Brien, the Minister for Environment, Climate and Energy in the South, to discuss the issue. During that meeting, I set out my party’s position that the interconnector should be undergrounded.

Dr Archibald

As I said in my initial answer, EirGrid has indicated that there are delays in processing land access and actual construction time. We have engaged with the Department in the South to understand what it is doing to try to reduce that extension, because there is a need to progress the North/South interconnector if we are to be able to meet our statutory obligations under the Climate Change Act 2022 and other targets. That Department has work to do to make that happen.

Ms Murphy

Minister, how does your Department ensure adequate North/South cooperation on energy matters?

Dr Archibald

I thank the Member for her question. As I mentioned, I met my counterpart, Minister O'Brien, last week. He took up his post in January. I will continue to engage with him on energy issues.

My officials engage regularly on issues of cooperation between our energy supplies. Senior officials meet quarterly through a joint steering group to discuss oversight of the single electricity market (SEM) and areas that impact our respective energy strategies and climate change targets. The joint steering group is attended by senior officials from my Department, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), both regulators and representatives from the SEM committee.

Mr O'Toole

Minister, I am really confused. You have said on multiple occasions from that lectern that you think that the North/South interconnector needs to be undergrounded. I am on the Department's website, which makes it clear that the planning permission that your Department sought is for an overground North/South interconnector. Are you saying one thing while your Department is delivering another? I strongly support the North/South interconnector, but a colleague of yours in the South, Mr Darren O'Rourke TD, appears to object to it. How can you be taken seriously as an Economy Minister who will deliver critical infrastructure when you say one thing and do another and contradict yourself in the Chamber?

Dr Archibald

I do not agree with the Member about my comments, because I have been consistent on my party's position and the party has been consistent in its position that it would help secure community buy-in. Planning permission was granted by a previous Infrastructure Minister who was your party colleague. As Ministers, we are obliged to fulfil the commitments in respect of that planning consent.

Mr Bradley

Minister, are you confident that the necessary infrastructure will be in place to ensure delivery to the north-west and the north coast?

Dr Archibald

I thank the Member for his question. As I said, I have engaged with my counterpart in the South to understand what the issues are in the delay that they made indications about. As I mentioned in my opening answer, the Northern section will be completed by 2028. There is an issue in respect of the investment in the grid, which NIE is progressing. It was granted a record investment of £2·2 billion under RP7, and it will work alongside the Department to ensure the roll-out of that project.

Mr Speaker

Earlier today, I dealt with a point of order raised by the Justice Minister on Members asking a Minister's opinion. Members do not generally have to ask a Minister's opinion, as we have just found out, because the Minister has just given an opinion that is contrary to the facts. I said today that this is about getting facts, and the fact is that the North/South interconnector has planning approval to go overground and that the electricity bodies that propose to develop it plan to go overground, as does the Minister's Department. We did not need the Minister's opinion; we just needed facts.