Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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One could spend hours examining this matter. A number of issues arise on a regular basis. Communities the length and breadth of the country are concerned and are up in arms about this issue. In the context of the submission from the Monaghan Anti-Pylon Committee, we presume that EirGrid has compiled a report or a response to the findings of the expert group.

It is astonishing that the information has not been made public. EirGrid is in public ownership and the first thing that should be done is that any documentation the company has in response to the expert group or any of the charges that were put to it should be in the public domain.

The three issues that keep cropping up with all the groups are health, value and scenic routes. The other fundamental issue is consultation. I have seen correspondence issued to various groups. Sleight of hand is evident in the consultation process. All means have been chosen rather than having a full engagement. Do the witnesses believe there has been any reasonable or even half-hearted attempt at consultation? Is it correct to say the consultation to date has been an attempt to get through the process rather than engage with communities? We have all heard people speak on the issue on the public airwaves. A serious health issue arises and that has not been properly addressed. One could agree with the necessity for the process but it cannot be railroaded. There were discussions about how the road networks were built and the consultation process that took place on them. All the witnesses have submissions to make. Is it correct to say that the consultation process is fundamentally flawed? Is that the opinion of all the groups? Are the three main issues, in order of importance, health, devaluation of property and the scenic routes?

To return to what was said by the group from Monaghan, it is fundamental that documentation or reports by EirGrid in response to the expert group report should be made public. We can only make an informed decision on how to proceed with the project when the full facts are on the table.