Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome our visitors, some of whom have been before us previously. They are very busy people who are trying to do a day's work and make sense of this issue. I welcome Mr. Slye who has apologised for not providing the material for us in advance. He has apologised a number of times for the way EirGrid has got the consultation process wrong. Will it not go back to basics? I have been a member of the committee since 2007 and saw what happened in the case of the North-South project and know what stage it is at. Quite frankly, EirGrid is going nowhere with it and the cost will be huge.

I have been to the control centre in Dublin twice with the committee. It is a very impressive building and much good work is done there where it diverts power. During the height of the Celtic tiger years I never heard any alarm bell or saw flashing amber lights indicating that power was going to be switched off. Will EirGrid be honest with the people? That is very important at this point, given the threat of an outage before Christmas. It should stop using the new mantra - keep the lights on, or ensure the lights are kept on, which is total nonsense. Those involved in EirGrid have not engaged and it is time for them to get down and dirty with the people, stand in their kitchens, take off the suits, put on the wellies and go into farmyards to talk to the people instead of talking over and at them. They have told us about all of the meetings held and the consultations they have had at race meetings, marts and such places. These are not the places in which people want to discuss with EirGrid. If people are at the mart, they want to do business - to sell or buy an animal - and if they are at the races, they want to enjoy themselves. I am being serious. EirGrid is making a mockery of the issue.

Mr. Slye went on national television and spouted a lie about an advertisement carried in the Dungarvan Leader. It was not an advertisement and he apologised off air to the people in the audience after the programme. I want him to apologise at this committee. EirGrid has to become involved. How did it pick the study area? Where was the consultation about which Mr. Slye talked? He talked about all of the meetings EirGrid held and all of the feedback received. What was the feedback? Why was Cork excluded and did the study area not travel out to sea and around to County Wexford? Who chose the study area? In the eyes of the people, all of this is underhand and they are very annoyed and becoming even more annoyed by the lack of engagement.

I met Mr. Slye this day last week in Buswells Hotel when he told me that he would get back to me within a couple of days to arrange a meeting with ten people, but I had said 20 people in a dignified meeting. He does not attend public meetings, although he said he did and wanted to confine the meeting to ten people. However, I have not heard one word from him since. There is no engagement with us either.

EirGrid must build trust. We need to keep the lights on, but it should stop the untruths and answer questions. Senator David Cullinane asked Mr. Slye twice if EirGrid was wrong in 2007 and 2008 when it stated it would be 20 times more expensive and then ten times and seven times. It is now three times more expensive. Can EirGrid admit it was wrong and that it made mistakes? It should empathise with the people.

Yesterday the chairman designate of EirGrid said he would not like to live beside a pylon. He had an outing yesterday, but Mr. Syle is having a more high powered one today. These projects are stuck in the mud where they will stay and sink. EirGrid will not have to underground them because they will be buried. I only hope some of those involved in EirGrid will not be buried with them. I do not mean anything bad by this. The projects are going nowhere; this is a mess.

EirGrid saw what had happened in the economy and how the bankers, regulators and politicians had got away with everything. It thinks it can in a cavalier way ride roughshod over the people. Will it consult meaningfully, engage and stop using highfalutin language which I do not understand about HDdv and so on to confuse people? It should be up-front and honest.

At some of its engagements EriGrid told us we would not have power in Clonmel. Deputy Ann Phelan said yesterday that people in counties Carlow and Kilkenny had been told it would not supply some industries there. Mr. Slye has said clearly that it will not connect with wind farms. It is all a big game played by big business and EirGrid is part of it. Obviously, it will be privatised and the profits will go into somebody else's pocket. The public is not ready for this and will not accept it. I am a Teachta Dála, a messenger of the people, and giving EirGrid the message loud and clear.

Will Mr. Slye answer the questions asked? If he only answers one question, will he answer the one Senator David Cullinane asked him twice, that is, did EirGrid get it wrong when it stated it would be 20 times more expensive, then eight times and seven times? Now the Minister, Deputy Pat Rabbitte, who seems to be EirGrid's chief spokesperson is saying it would be three times more expensive. Will Mr. Slye come clean with the people?

EirGrid received an award from Engineers Ireland for the technology used in bringing the interconnector across the sea. Why will it not consider that option in my area and not be selfish? Why will it not bring it along the sea from County Cork to County Wexford, given the novel expert technology used for which it has received awards? EirGrid is not codding me or anybody else. Will it, please, answer the question as to whether it had got it wrong. Did Mr. Slye tell a lie on television about the advertisement carried in the Dungarvan Leader? The newspaper is published outside my area but comes into my parish. EirGrid did not advertise; there was an editorial in the newspaper. Mr. Slye told the many watching that television programme that EirGrid had advertised in that newspaper and I want him to withdraw that statement.