Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am very glad to have the opportunity to support this extremely important motion. As Deputy Dooley, our party spokesperson on communications, environment and natural resources, said, it is a comprehensive, thorough and well thought-out motion. It reflects the concerns of communities and families throughout the affected areas in counties Monaghan, Cavan and Meath very well. It correctly identifies the measures to be implemented to deal with all aspects of the North-South interconnector.

I appeal to all Members of this House, both in opposition and in government, to support this motion. Over the past ten or 12 years, member of the County Monaghan Anti-Pylon Committee and members of the North East Pylon Pressure campaign in County Meath have been extremely active in conveying the views and concerns of local communities regarding these proposals. I attended many meetings in the past few years in Aughnamullen and Castleblayney in County Monaghan, in Muff and Kingscourt in County Cavan and in Kells and Navan in County Meath. There were huge crowds at each one of those individual meetings. People were there to express their outrage and concerns at the EirGrid proposals. They were particularly angry that EirGrid made no effort to listen to local people and local communities.

In 2007 and 2008 when this project was first mooted, we were told that the cost of undergrounding the project would be 20 to 30 times the cost of overgrounding it. Things have changed dramatically in the meantime, as Deputy Dooley said. Thankfully, the cost factor has diminished very substantially and the technology has advanced. At an Oireachtas committee meeting in April 2015, I and other Members of this House and of Seanad Éireann put particular questions to the chief executive of EirGrid. That was the first time that he publicly admitted that it was possible to place underground these transmission cables from an engineering and technical perspective.

I believe it is important to note our motion. It notes very importantly that the North-South interconnector is a vital piece of infrastructure for ensuring a safe and sustainable source of energy for our State and for north of the Border also. The motion calls on the Government to immediately commission an independent report incorporating international industry expertise to examine the technical feasibility and cost of undergrounding the project and to evaluate the potential impacts of both undergrounding and overgrounding with regard to landscape, tourism, heritage and agricultural practices. That report must also analyse the real cost. We also ask that no further work be carried out on this project until these studies are undertaken. We welcome the commitment in the programme for Government on the advancement of energy projects targeting better engagement and community consultation on energy policy decisions that affect communities. We see very well that this is not happening with regard to EirGrid.

On 21 December, the decision from An Bord Pleanála approving the EirGrid proposal was most disappointing. Together with many other Members of the Oireachtas and individual councillors in counties Cavan, Monaghan and Meath, I made detailed written submissions. We also participated in the oral hearing. Many public representatives at local authority and Oireachtas level in our three counties have been highly vocal and have worked extremely hard to convey the concerns of our communities. I am glad that some of our councillors are present tonight, including the cathaoirleach of Monaghan County Council, Councillor PJ O'Hanlon, Councillor Seamus Coyle and others. I pay tribute to all councillors in those counties who have taken a particular interest.

It is appalling that the An Bord Pleanála inspectorate report did not even record the contributions of the public representatives who participated in the oral hearing. It was appalling for a statutory agency to come out with a report that ignored the views and concerns expressed by the local community representatives. We must examine how An Bord Pleanála went about its business. On the first day of the oral hearing in 2010, it sought permission to move 400 pylon positions by 80 m in all directions. After seven weeks of that oral hearing in 2010, it withdrew. In 2015, EirGrid got away with submitting an inadequate and deficient application. It modified the application on the opening day of the oral hearing when 73 modifications were allowed. If any of us were constructing a small extension to a house or farm building, we would not be going in with modifications when the planning process was already under way.

All of us as Oireachtas Members have participated in and attended meetings of Monaghan County Council and Cavan County Council. We have listened to the serious concerns expressed at official level and at political level in the councils. The councils made detailed submissions, which came from both individual councillors and the county councils in their local authority role.

The Minister facilitated us with a good meeting last week. It was the first meaningful meeting that I had with a Minister for communications since 2011 with regard to this particular project. The Minister listened to an exceptionally good and detailed presentation. It was given by the County Monaghan Anti-Pylon Committee and by North East Pylon Pressure. It is a very detailed presentation and it stands up. I welcome that the Minister said there will be engagement with his officials with regard to all the views outlined in this particular proposal.

As Deputy Dooley said, a major project, the ALEGrO project, going from Aachen in Germany to Liège in Belgium is being undergrounded. As Deputy Dooley noted, it will not interfere with the landscape, the communities or the residences of people along that route.

We support the upgrade of the national grid. I was disturbed on Saturday to get calls from Northern Ireland trying to say to me that Fianna Fáil is opposed to the all-Ireland energy policy-----

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