Mr. Fintan Slye:

That is something we definitely see coming through in the consultation process. There is a desire for greater information on the costs of undergrounding. A suite of studies was carried out by us and the independent commission on the north-south one but, as the Deputy points out, there are specifics associated with each of the projects. That is one of the themes we see coming through and we are acutely conscious of it. When the consultation closes we will look at how best we can address that and respond to it. I absolutely agree with the Deputy that it is causing some concern among the public.

The Deputy mentioned the consultation process and a perception in some quarters that we were just ticking boxes. That is absolutely not the case. This is a huge programme. Each of the projects are massive infrastructural investments in their own right and we have a huge consultation engagement process in place. The purpose of it is to consult and engage with the communities. We continue to learn from that process and we continue to seek to improve it. The comments and suggestions we get here will also feed into that. We are still in the consultation and listening phase on Grid Link. I hope we will be back before the committee some time early next year to talk about, perhaps, what was a difficult consultation phase but the improvements that were made to address the concerns raised through that consultation process. However, we are still in that process and still listening to the concerns. In fairness to the people who have not yet had an input, we have extended the process to 7 January next. We must get all that feedback. I assure the Deputy we are aware of those themes and not immune to them. We are acutely conscious of the need to ensure this is done properly.

The Deputy raised the question of vested interests. We want to get the best solution. We are charged with delivering a safe, secure, reliable and economical grid, with due regard for the environment. Whatever is the best solution that fits that requirement and meets the needs of the electricity system and the people of Ireland is what we are seeking. The phrase "least cost technically acceptable" is one that is used largely with regard to how people are charged for access to the grid. It is an engineering term around that. What we are seeking is the best solution. Ultimately, we must take it through two independent bodies, the energy regulator and An Bord Pleanála, to get it approved, so we have no vested interest in one technology over another. We are just seeking the best answer, albeit that it can sometimes be hard.

Finally, the Deputy asked why a DC cable was not on the EMF A5 brochure. I will ask John Fitzgerald to comment on that.