Denis Landy (Labour)
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I thank the witnesses for attending. I make some points to evoke from them some responses that we can use when the representatives of EirGrid appear before the committee. They will forgive me if I have to leave. However, once they put the answers on the record I will be able to get them. My first question is on public consultation. Why do the witnesses believe the system of consultation that is in place is flawed? What system of consultation should EirGrid introduce in order to have proper consultation? There is an office in my town, Carrick-on-Suir which is open for six hours once a week on a Tuesday. There are two staff there and on a particular day one was in attendance. People went in and asked questions. They went back a number of hours later and the other EirGrid staff member was in attendance. They got directly opposite answers to the same questions. That is an example of what is going on.

I wish to ask Ms Fitzgerald about the European landscape convention. Does she believe that EirGrid has breached that convention and that the process is flawed as a result?

Mr. Bannigan made reference to EirGrid applying for European funding for other routes. Are there routes other than the one he mentioned? I have evidence suggesting that EirGrid has applied to Europe for funding for other routes. I need clarity on that.

Would the witnesses be agreeable if this committee could convince EirGrid to meet a representative group of each of the committees represented today to discuss their concerns about the lack of consultation and how it should move forward?

I ask Mr. Peter Smith about the process on the selection of corridors. Because the village, from which we both come from, Faugheen, has a population of less than 1,000, it is being disregarded and is being subsumed by the corridor. To what extent should cognisance be taken of population density vis-à-vis villages etc.?

EirGrid is using surveys and analyses that were done in 2008 to support its arguments. Even the one that was done by the expert group is now outdated. There is ongoing research in Germany and Denmark regarding the most recent technological capability of undergrounding cables. Are the witnesses aware of that and can they give us some information on it?