10/01/2003
Energy remains priority for Minister
Ian Pearson, the minister with responsibility for Enterprise, Trade and Investment has met with a delegation from Sinn Féin to discuss the Energy Bill currently underway in Westminster.
Energy prices in Northern Ireland have been traditionally high due to many factors, but most importantly due to the privatisation of the electricity market in 1992.
Being proposed in order to reduce the high electricity costs that Northern Ireland ratepayers endure is the creation of an all-island energy market, low cost borrowing and an extension of the gas network to the northwest.
The new Energy Bill which is being debated will eventually become law through Westminster as an Order in Council due to the suspension of devolved government.
Commenting after the meeting with Sinn Féin’s Pat Doherty, former chairperson of the Assembly Enterprise, Trade and Investment Committee and Dara O’Hagan, Mr Pearson highlighted his commitment to forwarding energy issues.
“I said when I took up office that my highest priority was to ensure that the Energy Bill was taken through to conclusion by Order in Council,” he said.
“Our efforts are focused on doing this taking account of a variety priority issues signalled by my predecessor and the Chairman of the Assembly’s Enterprise, Trade and Investment Committee. These included the provisions enabling extension of the gas industry in Northern Ireland and consideration of a mechanism to reduce the cost of borrowing in the energy market sector here.”
However Sinn Féin MLA for Upper Bann Dara O’Hagan said “The irony of a British Minister taking forward an Energy Bill that is designed to help get us out of the mess created by previous direct rule ministers who locked us into a cycle of uncompetitive and crippling electricity costs when they oversaw the privatisation of our electricity supply will not be lost on Ian Pearson.
“Sinn Féin support the inclusion of a low cost borrowing mechanism in the Energy Bill. However we want to see the detail of the proposed changes to ensure that any refinancing package does not leave us in the same mess as before.”
(AMcE)
Energy prices in Northern Ireland have been traditionally high due to many factors, but most importantly due to the privatisation of the electricity market in 1992.
Being proposed in order to reduce the high electricity costs that Northern Ireland ratepayers endure is the creation of an all-island energy market, low cost borrowing and an extension of the gas network to the northwest.
The new Energy Bill which is being debated will eventually become law through Westminster as an Order in Council due to the suspension of devolved government.
Commenting after the meeting with Sinn Féin’s Pat Doherty, former chairperson of the Assembly Enterprise, Trade and Investment Committee and Dara O’Hagan, Mr Pearson highlighted his commitment to forwarding energy issues.
“I said when I took up office that my highest priority was to ensure that the Energy Bill was taken through to conclusion by Order in Council,” he said.
“Our efforts are focused on doing this taking account of a variety priority issues signalled by my predecessor and the Chairman of the Assembly’s Enterprise, Trade and Investment Committee. These included the provisions enabling extension of the gas industry in Northern Ireland and consideration of a mechanism to reduce the cost of borrowing in the energy market sector here.”
However Sinn Féin MLA for Upper Bann Dara O’Hagan said “The irony of a British Minister taking forward an Energy Bill that is designed to help get us out of the mess created by previous direct rule ministers who locked us into a cycle of uncompetitive and crippling electricity costs when they oversaw the privatisation of our electricity supply will not be lost on Ian Pearson.
“Sinn Féin support the inclusion of a low cost borrowing mechanism in the Energy Bill. However we want to see the detail of the proposed changes to ensure that any refinancing package does not leave us in the same mess as before.”
(AMcE)
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