Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Plans are going ahead to build three major projects on the national grid. These are at various stages but will provide 490 km of new power lines. That may be needed. The North-South interconnector has been delayed by seven years because 97% of landowners, 213 in total, are refusing EirGrid access to their land to do environmental impact studies. Grid Link, which covers the south east and Leinster, is meeting substantial opposition. The consultation period has been extended to January and we welcome that. Grid West is likely to go the same way. People are very concerned about long rows of pylons and their impact on farming, landscape, tourism, the devaluation of property and possible health implications.

In 2007, EirGrid claimed that putting cables underground was not technically feasible or reliable. Since the publication of the Government's independent expert report, however, EirGrid concedes that putting them underground is feasible and reliable. It is now a question of cost. In Denmark, new 400 KV cables are being put underground. EirGrid has the information on this. The recently completed East-West interconnector, 40 km of which is underground in this State and 30 km in Wales, cost €2.2 million per kilometre, almost the same as the estimate for the overhead lines, which was between €2.1 million and €2.3 million per kilometre. This does not include the losses due to delays. Chambers Ireland estimates that the delay in the North-South interconnector alone costs €30 million per annum. Over seven years that is €210 million if the estimate is accurate. Even if it is half right, that amounts to more than €100 million in losses on that project.

I want the Tánaiste to take into consideration the long-term costs. I told the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources last week that there are operational costs and we must consider the long-term costs. Look where short-term thinking got us in the past. The Tánaiste and his Government have rightly criticised that but I want them to think for the long term. If we put the cables underground, they will last longer. It will reduce transmission losses and disturbance to cables because they will not be affected by severe weather conditions. There will be lower maintenance costs and less damage to the landscape and environment and less visual impact. The Minister said last week in reply to me that he was open to carrying out a cost-benefit analysis on underground versus overhead. Will the Government commit and change policy to do that?

See this speech in context