Seán Conlan (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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395. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources in view of the massive response to the Grid Link consultation, which received huge national media coverage, if 18 submissions in comparison to 36,000 was an adequate and acceptable level of public consultation with regard to the North-South interconnector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5245/14]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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In the Government Policy Statement on the Strategic Importance of Transmission and Other Energy Infrastructure of July 2012, the imperative for the State Companies, and all developers of energy projects, of early, transparent engagement and consultation with local communities and stakeholder was emphasised. The Government also affirmed that EirGrid is obligated to adhere to all relevant guidelines and standards and that they act in the national interest, and on behalf of all electricity consumers. The Government has confidence that the forward planning process from the national planning framework of the National Spatial Strategy, to Regional Planning Guidelines and local development planning and the Strategic Infrastructure Act provides the necessary framework for ensuring that all necessary standards are met and that extensive statutory and non-statutory consultation are key to creating public confidence to this effect.With regard to the North-South transmission line, the Government does not determine the scale of submissions on any given project. However, the Government must be satisfied that the necessary framework is in place for ensuring that all necessary standards are met.

I am also advised that it was part of the opposition campaign to the North-South line that citizens were advised not to make written submissions in response to the public consultation. I am not aware of the impact of this advice.

Seán Conlan (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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396. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will include the North-South interconnector as part of the report by Ms Justice Catherine McGuinness on the best underground route options for increasing the capacity of the grid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5279/14]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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On 28 January last, in response to EirGrid’s recent public consultation process, I announced that I have appointed an independent panel of experts, to be chaired by Mrs Justice Catherine McGuinness, to decide terms of reference for comprehensive, route-specific studies of fully underground options for both Grid Link and Grid West.

Studies of the overhead and underground options will then be published side-by-side, in objective and comparable terms, before proceeding to the next stage of public consultation on those two projects. The two studies will take account of environmental (including visual amenity) impacts, technical efficacy and cost factors. The independent panel will have power to commission its own work if there is any perceived deficiency in the studies presented.

Subsequently, on 31 January 2014 I met with former Supreme Court Justice Catherine McGuinness, chair of the expert panel.

The Taoiseach and I agreed last week that I would ask Mrs Justice McGuinness to consider what work, if any, her panel might usefully undertake to establish that there has been parity of treatment between the North South project, in terms of the work undertaken to date, and Grid Link and Grid West, in terms of the studies that are now proposed. The Chairperson said that she would discuss the issue with the expert panel to consider what, if anything, the expert panel can do. Mrs Justice McGuinness also indicated that she would be convening a meeting of the panel as early as possible.