Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The current planning permission for the delivery of the North-South interconnector in both Ireland and Northern Ireland is for an overhead line. An underground line would require a whole new planning process. It is important that I put that on the record because the impression given at a recent meeting with Monaghan County Council was that a new planning process would not be required.

All of the existing information pertaining to the undergrounding was available to An Bord Pleanála as part of that planning process. In the oral hearing the inspector heard testimony both in favour of and against the overground and underground solutions. The inspector examined those issues thoroughly and concluded that the overhead line was the best technical and economic solution for the North-South interconnector to meet its objectives.

As Minister I have an overarching duty, unless lawfully challenging a decision, to respect the decisions of lawfully established bodies. Having said that, I fully respect that this is an emotive issue for many people, particularly those in close proximity to the proposed project. For that reason I met with the people on the ground. I was the first Minister in a long time to do that. I met with Members of the Oireachtas here on a number of occasions. I met with Monaghan County Council last week, and some very disingenuous comments came out of that meeting which were untrue. It is disappointing, when I as Minister am prepared to meet with public representatives, that comments like that would come out of such meetings. Having said that, the reports will be completed this quarter. They will be published and will be made available to interested parties so people can see for themselves in black and white the information contained in them and the conclusions, whatever they are, and make up their minds after that.

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