Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Slye and his team for their presentation. Deputy Mulherin made a number of useful points. She suggested that a comparison between the overground and underground options should be laid out clearly in front of people. If that had been done in advance of the consultation process, people would have been able to compare all the options and the costs associated with them. The consultation process would have meant much more in such circumstances. People could have referred to that comparison when offering their opinions. The problem I have is that we are now a bit behind as a consequence of the failure to do this.

I wonder whether the use of the road network as part of the underground or overground options, or a combination of those options, has been examined carefully. It could involve having to run these lines a little out of the way. Has careful consideration been given to that possibility?

I was contacted recently by a concerned person in Midleton who has a son with autism. He is hypersensitive to certain noises and anything like that. It is not a question of being 30 m or 40 m away from one of these lines. People will have to cross underneath them, stand underneath them or drive underneath them. Have the effects of one of these lines on individuals like this person's son been assessed?

The visual impact of these towers must be considered given that many of them are the same height as the Spire in O'Connell Street. If someone asked me whether I would like one of them to be built 30 m from me, I would definitely say "No". Anyone who is honest would say "No". I do not accept that one would look at what will benefit the country. If someone was proposing to run one of these lines through one's family farm that is in one's history, one would have problems with that.

Will EirGrid have any additional powers to access these lands? Will it have more powers than the NRA or Bord Gáis? Will it have any additional powers when it is trying to commandeer lands to develop these lines across a certain area?

When Mr. John Fitzgerald was speaking about the map I am now holding, he said it was a like-for-like comparison. I am a technician by trade. I note the reference to the 400 kV underground cable in the document. We can see the µT effect in that case. It relates to the effect of standing 30 m away from a 400 kV power line, rather than standing underneath it. The comparison would be off the radar if one was standing underneath the line. It would certainly be a hell of a sight more than what is being shown here. It is very deceiving to see that. A television emits a certain level of µT. We can see in the document how much a razor emits. I ask people to imagine the emission one would encounter if one was standing underneath a power line while going about one's business, driving or otherwise. The difference would be massive.

I would like to ask about the company's communications with Members of the Oireachtas. Is there any way we can use a special e-mail address or a special telephone line if we want to put forward ideas? It would be very important for people here who are trying to make a further impact. It would be helpful if a dedicated line of some description were made available.