Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:-
“While even the temporary saving of jobs at Kilroot is welcome and the losses at Ballylumford appalling, this saga is illustrative of the dysfunctional mess into which electricity generation has fallen as a direct consequence of the mishandled all-island single electricity market.
“At the time of the rushed all-island auction process, which robbed Kilroot and Ballylumford of generating contracts, SONI and others publicly proclaimed enough generation had been secured to guarantee supply. Then, when it became clear they were wrong, a special arrangement had to be reached with Kilroot to keep it going. How much this fallout from the botched auction process will cost the Northern Ireland consumer has not been revealed, but for sure it is we who will foot the bill for SONI and Eirgrid’s mismanagement.”