Minister Naughten accompanied President Francois Hollande and An Taoiseach recently as they oversaw the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between EirGrid and RTE (Réseau de Transport d’Electricité, French Transmission Operator, an to move to the next phase of development of the Celtic Interconnector Project.
 
Commenting on the agreement, the Minister said “The Celtic Interconnector Project has the potential to provide a reliable high-capacity link between Ireland and France that would have huge benefits for the people of Ireland. This project would provide access to the European electricity market leading to increased competition and lower prices in Ireland.  It would also improve security of electricity supply and facilitate increased capacity for renewable energy.”
 
Minister Naughten also took the opportunity to extend his sympathies to President Hollande on the recent horrific attack in Nice.