Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I raised this issue with the Minister on 20 September and 7 April last, on 4 November last year with the Minister of State, on 21 April with the Taoiseach, and on 10 March 2021 and on 22 September 2020 with the Minister directly. Each time I have raised the issue with the Minister, he indicated his refusal to engage with local campaigners on it. Each time the Minister refused to accede to the demand of a full appraisal of the underground option of the interconnector despite the fact that a report the Minister cited earlier described that as a credible option.

The Minister was in government when EirGrid first announced its plans for this infrastructure. EirGrid then claimed it would take only a few years but, because of the pigheaded attitude of EirGrid and successive Ministers, the project instead ran into significant delays, unnecessary costs and the loss of any semblance of goodwill among the affected communities.

The biggest challenge is yet to come when EirGrid and its agents attempt to enter onto the lands of people who have publicly stated that they will prevent them. My appeal is, rather than entering into further delays and more wastage of public moneys which will be the Minister's legacy unless he learns from the lessons of the past decade, that the Minister engages with the communities and instigates the review that is being sought, which is a full independent appraisal of the underground option.

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