Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This is a mega project. There are 1,300 pylons across the countryside in a straight line as decided by EirGrid. That is the way the company wanted to do it, although there were other options. The public never got any pre-consultation opportunities in respect of the EirGrid proposal, but that is the minimum that is required. It would make sense for genuine consultation to take place for all concerned. The concerns that exist are not figments of the imagination. The Taoiseach knows that and many people know it. It is on a scale that dwarfs anything in respect of roads or any other infrastructure projects that we have had. That is the reality. We can quote international studies. Other countries throughout Europe can do it, including countries that have a far greater record in terms of energy, moving away from fossil fuels and so on. Denmark is one such country. What are we afraid of in terms of a genuine international independent assessment of whether we are doing the right thing?

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