Mr. Fintan Slye:

That process is at a very early stage with regard to feasibility development. It will be laid on the sea bed and use technology equivalent to what was deployed for the east-west interconnector being commissioned. It is the very same technology we have set out as the technical alternative of undergrounding for the North-South interconnector. It is the same technology, absolutely consistent with what we have discussed as a technical alternative to an overhead option. As per the earlier discussion, it is technically feasible although it is not technically as good. It has a range of issues and it costs significantly more.

We have examined that option.

Deputy O'Donovan mentioned double standards or things not being done for the people of Meath, Cavan and Monaghan that have been done for people in other parts of the country. This issue was referred by the Minister to the independent expert panel, chaired by Mrs. Justice Catherine McGuinness and including the economists Mr. Colm McCarthy and Professor John FitzGerald, the electrical engineering professor Professor Keith Bell, and Dr. Karen Foley from UCD. They were specifically asked the question Deputy O'Donovan raised about whether the same level of analysis of alternative options had been afforded to the people of Meath, Cavan and Monaghan on the North-South interconnector as was being done for the Grid West and the Grid Link projects, and they confirmed in July 2014 that it had in fact been done. That was an independent assessment of all the work and analysis that had been done on the various options for the North-South interconnector project. It is not just us saying that; it is that independent expert panel established by the former Minister, Deputy Rabbitte.