The Speaker of the House of Keys, the Hon Steve Rodan SHK, is to attend the 46th plenary session of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly (BIPA).
The plenary will take place from Sunday March 3rd to Tuesday March 5th at the Letterkenny Institute of Technology, County Donegal and will have as its theme: Energy across Borders – Delivering the Economic Opportunities.
Over the two days of formal sessions parliamentarians and industry leaders will examine issues of energy innovation and the development of renewable sources, with particular focus on how the British and Irish governments, together with the devolved regional governments, can work together towards adapting to the demands of new environmental realities and challenges.
The plenary agenda includes a motion Mr Speaker will be tabling in which, on behalf of the people of the Isle of Man, he will be calling for all future windfarm proposals to take full account of the potentially adverse effects they may have on shipping services and navigation to and from the Isle of Man and Irish sea ports and the threat such proposals could pose to the Manx economy.
BIPA members understood to be supporting the motion are John McCallister MLA; the Rt Hon Paul Murphy MP; Jim Dobbin MP; Baroness Harris of Richmond; Darren Millar AM; Robert Walter MP; Martin Heydon TD; Connetable Daniel Murphy; and Mattie McGrath TD.
The programme of events will include an address by Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Pat Rabbitte TD entitled Britain and Ireland: Delivering the Benefits of Renewable Energy, while Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD will provide the keynote address.
Mr Speaker said: ‘Against a background of changing geo-political dynamics and the need to explore the impact of developments in renewable energy technology the importance of valuing and strengthening the relationships forged within the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly has never been greater. These plenary sessions serve to bolster those ties, promote cooperation and provide a forum in which to voice the concerns of those whom we represent.’
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