Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Grid 25 represents a more than €3 billion investment programme to develop and upgrade the electricity transmission network across the country. Of course this will involve a network crossing rural areas. We already have a considerable electricity network crossing farmland all over the country without any significant negative consequence of which I am aware. Perhaps the Deputy can provide evidence to suggest that there is. We already have two 410 kV lines crossing the midlands from Moneypoint to Dublin. The vast majority of that journey is farmland, but I am unaware of any disastrous consequence from that.

There is an obligation on EirGrid to do a proper job, including all of the assessments that are necessary to reassure people and to pick the right route, but it is not for me as the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to dictate to EirGrid how it should do that. It has a statutory obligation to do it properly. We are in the middle of a public consultation process in that regard and people are having their say. They are vocal and concerned about this matter.

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