Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 84, 120, and 269 to 272, inclusive, together.

The invitation to tender for the independent study on the comparative merits of overhead and underground electricity transmission lines was placed on the Government's eTenders website on 11 February last. The deadline for receipt of tenders was 29 February. The terms of reference for the study were available both on the eTenders website, which is accessible throughout Europe, and on the Department's website.

The study will examine, inter alia, transmission technologies currently available for electricity transmission at 110 kV and above. It will also review current practices worldwide for constructing transmission lines, and the relative technical performance, capital and total life cycle costs, including the impact on unit electricity prices, and environmental impacts of underground and overground lines across a wide range of criteria. A draft final report is to be submitted by the consultants to the Department 40 days after contract signature and it is anticipated that the report will be finalised within the following 14 days.

It was not considered necessary to extend the timeframe for completion of the study. Four tenders for the study were received by the closing date of Friday 29 February, of which three were from companies outside Ireland. The details of the tenders are commercially sensitive at this time. I will publish the name of the successful tenderer once a contract has been agreed. I have asked my officials to finalise the contract with a view to ensuring that work gets under way as soon as possible and the draft final report is received by the end of April. I intend to publish the study once it is finalised, which implies a publication date during May.

The aim of this independent study is to provide authoritative advice on the issue of overhead versus underground transmission lines, thereby informing debate and decisions on all current and future transmission line projects. It is not envisaged that studies would be carried out for future individual projects.

The tender documentation specifically required each company to declare any conflicts of interest in its tender submission and the Department reserves the right to take whatever action it considers appropriate in case of failure to disclose a conflict of interest or misdeclaration of conflict of interest. I am confident that no conflict of interest will arise that would compromise the credibility of the study.

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