Mr. John O'Connor:

With regard to the legal position and the fiduciary duty, the Deputy is correct to an extent. However, the legislation governing EirGrid requires it to balance three things - the safe and secure supply of electricity, a competitive price for electricity and the environment. The three, including environmental protection, are mentioned in the statutory remit of EirGrid, so it is not quite as simple as the Deputy said.

Again, I can only give an assurance. I have too much respect for the process here. I have spent a large part of my career dealing with the environment and trying to defend it. That was often not very popular in certain quarters. If anybody thinks I am going to EirGrid to do something that would damage my lifetime's work, I would have grave difficulty with that. I am sorry that people would believe that is in any way an issue for me. All I can do is give an assurance that my behaviour in this will be absolutely above board. There will be no back door telephone calls. There could not be anyway. It is a statutory offence to try to influence An Bord Pleanála in any way. I hope members of the committee will take advantage of the situation to explain that I do not have any conflicts in this and try to assure people throughout the country, who might have been led to believe that there are some conflicts, that there will not be any underhand arrangement or anything of that nature. I would not take the job for a second if that was part of the agenda.