Shane Cassells (Meath West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As we speak, EirGrid is trying to canvass farmers at the ploughing championships and get them on board with its project to traverse the land of farmers and that of their neighbours with monstrous pylons across counties Meath, Cavan and Monaghan. It will not succeed. The cosy relationship between the Minister's Department and EirGrid was exposed by Michael Fisher in the EirGrid files which I am holding in my hand. They show a very unhealthy link between the Department and EirGrid which scuppers any belief in the integrity of the process. The Minister spoke of meeting interested parties. Such people no longer have any belief in the process after reading those reports in The Northern Standardwhich were published over eight weeks.

EirGrid officials went so far as to monitor my social media account with the intent of giving a heads-up to officials in the Minister's office that he should expect questions on the matter from me in the Dáil. I will save them the bother of having to do so. I will add the Minister as a friend on Facebook and he can monitor it himself and read what I intend to say. The only thing such officials will find on Facebook is a resilient community in counties Meath, Monaghan and Cavan which will not be bullied by EirGrid.

I will obtain the EirGrid files published byThe Northern Standard for the Minister because they contain serious insights into what is, as has been said, a very unhealthy relationship between the Minister's Department and EirGrid.

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