Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Slye and his team for coming before the committee. Obviously this is a very emotive and contentious issue, but I recognise that it is very important. We all recognise the importance of updating and expanding the national grid. EirGrid has an extremely important job to do, but we, as public representatives, have the job of representing the people who have elected us. The people who have elected us do not agree with the process and unfortunately there is no acceptance of the manner in which this is happening. I am speaking about the public consultation process for the North-South interconnector. Mr. Slye stated that it was essential that the process be ongoing and that the issues would be taken into account, but realistically that did not happen for the North-South interconnector following the collapse of the oral hearing in 2010. The public consultation process has been and gone and been and gone again and EirGrid has not addressed the main issue, which is the undergrounding of the cables. If this issue had been addressed there would have been a possible underground route the second time the public consultation came around. I know Mr. Slye has raised issues, such as the need for EirGrid personnel to get on the land and need for environment impact assessments, but that needs to be done for the overhead lines again. I do not have any questions. I think Deputy Mulherin hit the nail on the head. I acknowledge that EirGrid did offer to do the cost-benefit analysis along one of the overhead routes, but this process covers much more than just the North-South interconnector.

We need to see the issues Mr. Slye and others have raised, including the health aspect of the matter, the cost analysis, the visual impact and the impact on land, in black and white. Deputy Mulherin hit the nail on the head when she said we have not yet seen it in black and white. Many people, including those involved in the North-South interconnector and the other proposed routes, would be happy if that were facilitated.