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

I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 and 10 together.

I have appointed an independent panel of experts chaired by Ms Justice Catherine McGuinness to examine the Grid West and Grid Link projects. The independent expert panel has held five meetings between 10 February 2014 and 10 June 2014. At its meeting on 2 May 2014 the panel finalised and approved the terms of reference for comprehensive route specific studies and reports of fully undergrounded and overhead options for each of the Grid West and Grid Link projects, including assessments of potential environmental impacts, technical efficacy and cost factors. The terms of reference were published on 7 May 2014 and are available on my Department's website. The studies and reports will be undertaken or commissioned by EirGrid in accordance with the terms of reference set by the panel, which will also oversee EirGrid’s study and reporting process. In due course the panel will provide an opinion to me on the completeness, objectivity and comparability of the studies and reports undertaken or commissioned by EirGrid and will oversee the publication by EirGrid of the two studies and reports prior to EirGrid proceeding to public consultation on the two projects.

I also asked the panel to consider what, if anything, it can do with regard to the North-South transmission line project and it has considered that issue. Although the North-South project was not covered by the Government’s decision, having discussed my request and in the light of the finalised terms of reference for the studies and reports of fully undergrounded and overhead options for each of the Grid West and Grid Link projects, the panel decided that it would provide an opinion to me on the compatibility of the methodologies to be employed on the Grid West and Grid Link projects with what has already been done on the North-South transmission line project. I understand that the panel wrote to EirGrid shortly after its May meeting to convey its requirements in regard to Grid West, Grid Link and the North-South project and that EirGrid is attending to those requirements.

I am advised that EirGrid, in response to the panel's inquiry regarding the compatibility of the methodologies, has provided a detailed submission to the panel. This submission was discussed by the panel at its meeting on Tuesday of this week. I understand EirGrid made a detailed presentation at that meeting and that the panel requested EirGrid to provide it with additional written material. The panel will continue its work at its next meeting, which is provisionally scheduled for 30 June 2014. I have on many occasions emphasised the importance of the North-South transmission line project to citizens in both jurisdictions on this island. The project when implemented will give rise to considerable savings for electricity consumers and will contribute significantly to security of electricity supply for Northern Ireland.

On 18 February I informed the House that the North-South line had been designated at EU level as one of 248 key trans-European energy infrastructure projects listed as projects of common interest. I also said that, while I had yet to receive formal confirmation of this, this status meant that the planning application could be subject to specified procedures to ensure public participation, as set out in EU regulation 347 of 2013.

An Bord Pleanála was designated as the competent authority for projects of common interest in Ireland. The board published the necessary projects of common interest manual on 15 May and on 23 May it informed EirGrid that the North-South transmission line would not come under certain transitional provisions of the relevant regulation and that the regulation will accordingly apply in full to the pre-application and planning application stages of the project. However, I understand that the regulation requires An Bord Pleanála to take into consideration any form of public participation and consultation that has already taken place before the formal start of the permit granting process in respect of this project.

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