Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have a final comment in respect of the North-South interconnector, which is a good example of how not to do things. Mr. Bolger is correct that the process for the interconnector was initiated 20 years ago. The difficulty has been that there has been no public consultation in two decades since. Twenty years ago, a fait accompliwas presented to communities that opposed the plans and we have had 20 years during which those communities have been lectured to without any alternative being provided. There are similar interconnectors. There is an interconnector between Belgium and Germany, the Aachen Liège Electricity Grid Overlay, or ALEGrO, interconnector. It is similar in make-up. While there are always differences, ALEGrO and the North-South interconnector are very similar. There was a parallel process. A proposal for an overhead 400 kV interconnector power line met community resistance but two different courses of action were taken. Belgium and Germany went the course of public acceptance and engagement and came to a decision to underground the interconnector. That is nearly completed. In Ireland, we adopted the pig-headed approach where we are essentially at a point where the real delays have not happened yet. The real delays will happen when EirGrid or its agents attempt to walk on to the land of people who say they are not entitled to do so. I agree that we need the North-South interconnector but I also agree that we need to bring communities with us if we are to deliver these types of projects. That is one of the lessons we have to learn in all of this.