Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 10 July 2019

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment

ESB Networks: Discussion (Resumed)

Photo of Brian StanleyBrian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their attendance. I was shocked by the contents of the "RTÉ Investigates" programme. My sense of the ESB is that it is a big professional organisation. I was an ESB employee for three years. Even then its motto was "Never turn a blind eye", though that was a few decades ago. As the ESB is seen as a reliable company with a huge emphasis on safety and on workers being well treated, there is some concern when an issue like this crops up. The ESB will need to carry out a number of projects over the coming years because ESB's networks will require a huge upgrade to deal with the electrification of transport and greater electrification of many sectors due to climate change. New infrastructure will be installed, some of which already has planning permission. It is important that both the public and members, as public representatives, can defend and stand over the ESB's record as our company, that is, as a State company. We want it to be a safe pair of hands in constructing networks, installing infrastructure and operating safely and I am sure that is what the ESB also wants.

The revelations in this programme are damaging. There is a question about whether the leaked material is oil or fluid and whether it is biodegradable. In the real world, equipment and infrastructure installed up to 60 years ago are now past their best-by dates. The water network is in the same position and replacing that network also is a challenge. However, it is better that we know what is wrong and that these issues are brought to the attention of the relevant authorities. In this case, the relevant local authority, Dublin City Council, knew what was happening and brought it to the attention of the Environmental Protection Agency.

It was said that what leaked from the underground cables is biodegradable. However, a confidential ESB document shows the ESB had been fully aware of the environmental hazards caused by those leaks since 2009, which is concerning. The document also states the Inchicore circuit presents the highest environmental risk due to the fact that its route runs parallel to the Grand Canal. That shows there already was some concern at that point that the environmental impact was severe. It went on to state that an acid replacement and maintenance report on the Grand Canal in Dublin was conducted in 2014, and that ESB Networks had considerable difficulties accessing that route's cables in order to repair leaks. The report claimed this was an area where leaks "could present a very high environmental impact". Between 2012 and 2014, 10,000 l of oil leaked into the waterway alone. It is hugely concerning that this was not brought into the full light of day at the time.

Representatives from the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, were before this committee yesterday. The ESB has to make a pitch to the CRU if it wants to do a capital upgrade. As I recall, the ESB looked for spending of €20 million between 2011 and 2015 for upgrade works of this type but only €6 million was used. I am trying to balance this in my head, while trying to be fair to the ESB. I understand that was during the austerity period and that the ESB was subject to austerity like everyone else. Why, however, was this allowed to go on when it had authorisation to spend €20 million? Why was there not a more open process in dealing with this? No matter how bad a situation, it is always better that the relevant authority knows what is happening.

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