Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

There are a very wide range of views, findings or statements, or whatever we want to call them, when we compare EirGrid's and Askon's analysis and reports on undergrounding versus overgrounding. Askon found that underground cables were better suited to integrating our network. It found that underground was more reliable, that transmission loss was significantly less than when using overground and that underground cables were safer. It found there were obvious environmental benefits and it also found that it could be done at an affordable cost compared with the figures put forward by proponents of overground. When adding to that the damage that will inevitably be done to tourism by overhead cables and the associated pylons, and the damage to property values, it would seem negligent if we were not to look again at the Askon report. While I do not know whether either statement of views is right, I believe we need to look afresh at Askon's report.

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