Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Tuesday, 13 June 2023
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government
Infrastructure Provision and Residential Developments: Discussion
Mr. Nicholas Tarrant:
I will explain briefly the two roles between ourselves and EirGrid. For the transmission projects, EirGrid brings forwards the projects and once they are consented they are passed to us for detailed design, procurement and construction. Ultimately, we own them over their life for onshore assets. In the case of distribution, we look after the whole lot. The cable replacement programme in Dublin is a key enabler for bringing offshore wind onshore for example. There is going to be increased capacity in those projects based on this. We are using opportunities to engage with key stakeholders. For example, there is a working group with TII on high voltage, HV, cables and how we use roadways. That goes beyond the Dublin region but in general, it is about how we can use existing infrastructure for network development. We have a programme that is going to go over multiple price reviews. What we have seen with the engagement is where we have taken opportunities of working with the local authorities on various programmes. One example is the Dodder greenway or different things where there are other infrastructure projects happening that can be piggybacked on. In Dublin, there is something in the region of 140 km of those cables to be replaced over a 15-year period.
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