Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I do not think the northern authorities want to go back to the drawing board. I agree with them. As I said, we attended a meeting of the European Energy Council today and Mario Draghi's report was discussed. It is all about the grid and the future economy. Economic development in the North is not easy at the moment, given budget constraints and so on. If we do not develop the economy around this sort of infrastructure, it will be in deep trouble. I expect the North would like to see the project proceed and not go back to the drawing board. In fact, the North is further advanced and has, I understand, more widespread consent among the relevant landowners. There will be different views among landowners in the South, but I expect that the approach set out under the provisions of section 47 of the relevant Act are being considered. That is something the regulator has to deal with as an independent body.

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