Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I get the point. Deputy Pat Deering said there was a formal consultation process but that there was no real engagement. I am concerned about this because after the North-South project I had a number of direct discussions, apart from the republication of the 2012 policy statement, in which I made it plain that I wanted those involved to engage with citizens along the route in their own language and explain to them why we needed a safe, secure energy supply in this country. Much money has been spent and it is very disturbing to hear a wide cross-section of opinion saying the quality of engagement is defective. I gave figures for the numbers of open days held and outlined the extent of interaction at community level in marts, shopping centres and so on. It is disappointing that that is the view of colleagues in the House.

Why criticise the consultation process because there are four, five or six corridors? EirGrid's position is that if it went down to Waterford, for example, and said the line there was the one selected, there would be an outcry. It would be asked how dare it come down and inform them that was the line and would be told there ought to be public consultation to decide on the best route. There is no line selected yet, but I understand the point being made.

Deputy Coffey raised the issue of a cost benefit analysis, CBA. As I said to my colleague Deputy Jack Wall who approached me today on this issue, I am satisfied to examine whether there is merit in that suggestion. We did that kind of assessment on the North-South project. The Government promised that it would have an independent international assessment of the North-South project and three experts were brought in from Scandinavia and Belgium. They did the report and concluded it would cost about three times the cost of an overhead line. I do not draw from that the cost for the line from Knockraha to Great Island and back up to Kildare should be similar, but that is what the assessment found in that case. I take the point made by Deputy Coffey on that.

Deputy Stanley asked why the line was not put along the motorway when it was being built and I do not know. That was not done and we are where we are. We need to ensure the regions of Ireland have adequate power and energy for the purposes of employment and economic development. Time does not allow this evening for us to go into the kind of detail needed on this. Somebody asked for a debate on this issue and I am happy to have a debate at any time.

Deputy Tóibín said that countries across Europe are putting the lines underground, but that is not true, as can be seen. Denmark is going underground with the 120 kV cable, but has decided not to do so with the 400 kV line. It has taken that decision and it has a wealthier economy than we do. I do not want to put it stronger than that. Many of the claims made do not stand up. What stands up is that in politics, perception is everything and there are many concerns among the people. I accept and understand that. However, I repeat that no line has yet been selected. The public consultation process is under way and when concluded, we will see whether EirGrid is as dismissive as is being widely alleged. So far, there is no line selected.

Some of the proposals put to me, not just here but outside of the House, seem far fetched. For example, why if the line was going from Knockraha in Cork to Great Island, it would go via this way as distinct from via that way and so on. By a decision of this House, we established an expert agency whose task it is to deliver a safe secure energy supply to the country. It is supposed to have the technical, professional and other expertise to do the job. The days of Ministers drawing lines on the map and saying something shall go there are gone. Perhaps they should not be gone. Perhaps Ministers, who are accountable, should have more of a say in the system, but it is the way it is. Nobody challenges the technical and professional competence of EirGrid, internationally or locally. However, how well EirGrid interacts with local citizens and so on is clearly an issue on which Members have strong views. I hope we can provide reassurance on that.

I hear what colleagues are saying and there is much food for thought in what they have said. I am doing considerable thinking at the moment.

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