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

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 and 3 together.

EirGrid’s Grid25 national transmission grid development programme is vital for future socio-economic progress in Ireland, for regional development throughout Ireland, and to ensure that current and future generations of consumers have access to more reliable, sustainable and affordable energy. Grid25 represents an investment in the electricity transmission system of around €3.2 billion in the coming 15 to 20 years.

During the course of engagement by EirGrid in the recent public consultation processes, and most recently on the Grid Link project on which 35,000 submissions were received, a number of key concerns emerged. This has necessitated considerable review and reflection to determine the optimum approach needed to address those concerns that are valid, while at the same time ensuring adequate and effective transmission capacity in the State.

Arising from examination of the concerns expressed, I have proposed a number of measures to deal with the immediate concerns on the Grid West and Grid Link projects, while also addressing the generality of commentary on the need to improve stakeholder and community engagement on all Grid25 projects for the future.

I have appointed an independent panel of experts, to be chaired by the Honourable Mrs. Justice Catherine McGuinness. The panel of experts will decide the terms of reference for comprehensive route-specific studies of fully underground and overhead options for the Grid Link and the Grid West projects. The panel will be required to ensure the process for taking forward the Grid Link and Grid West projects accords with the highest standards of integrity. They will also be asked to ensure the studies are complete, impartial, objective and comparable and will report to me on these matters in due course. The overhead and underground options will be published side by side, in objective and comparable terms, before consideration is given to the appropriate next steps for each of the projects.

EirGrid will be required to undertake the two studies, as determined by the independent panel of experts, which will take account of, inter alia, environmental and visual amenity impacts, technical efficacy and cost factors. The independent panel will have power to commission additional work if there is any perceived deficiency in the studies presented.

Additionally, I will ask the chairperson of EirGrid to undertake a comprehensive assessment, with a view to improving, EirGrid’s community engagement processes and procedures, having regard to the significant public concerns raised on this issue. I believe EirGrid will respond to the demands of meaningful and extensive public consultation and will take account of lessons learned from the most recent consultation process in addition to consideration of the Government policy statement of July 2012 on the strategic importance of transmission and other energy infrastructure. A package of community gain measures to address issues of visual impact and property devaluation for overhead options of grid projects are being developed in close discussion with the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government.

The Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government will also engage expert assistance to review and report on international developments since 2007 on any potential health effects of electromagnetic fields emanating from transmission grid infrastructure. In 2007, an expert group established by the then Minister with responsibility for energy published a report on health effects of electromagnetic fields. The forthcoming review will bring this 2007 report up to date.

The situation is different regarding the North-South transmission line for several reasons. The reality is that planning for this project has been under way for the past ten years. A planning application has already been submitted for the part of the project in Northern Ireland and that planning process is in train.

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