Ireland wins battle for EU funds to build efficient energy supply system

IRELAND won its battle to get European Union funds to help build energy infrastructure, linking the country to the rest of Europe for both gas and electricity supplies.

The emphasis, however, will be on winning private investment to build energy infrastructure throughout the 27 member states, at an estimated cost of €1 trillion over the next decade.

But provided the member states meet their targets, the savings could be huge, amounting to €1,000 a year for households, cutting the vast sums of money countries are spending on importing expensive fossil fuels and reducing emissions of greenhouse gases.