Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to speak on this issue, the 500 kV interconnector power line from Meath to Tyrone. This initiative has been under way for a long time and I am glad we have reached this stage where we have an expert commission's report and a report by the Oireachtas committee. I have tabled this issue to discover what the next steps are with this project.

This project has been under way since March 2007, although it was kept quiet by those in power before the last general election. It was given the go ahead without any proper consideration of alternatives. The nod was given to drive this connector using overhead power lines regardless of that being right or wrong. That is not acceptable.

I will use my time today to deal with EirGrid's attitude from the very start of this development. Its attitude was arrogant and out of order when dealing with people on a sensitive planning issue. I am disappointed a semi-State body would take that approach. I was also disappointed the then Minister did not have an open mind on this and was not willing to discuss it. There were many questions at the time.

We have come a long way in recent years and we have more answers, with the Oireachtas committee working on it in February. There were many good hearings, with all sides getting a chance to discuss the issues at a proper forum. That happened on foot of the report of the commission, which was published in January, and I thank the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources for allowing the commission and starting this initiative. I did not have faith in previous reports but most people I spoke to had full faith in the experts picked by the Minister. They gave us a report that addressed technicality, feasibility and cost and that gave us an opportunity to have a real look at this with an open mind. During many of the meetings I have had with the Minister in the last year or so, he has shown an open mind on this. The attitude of EirGrid has also improved, which probably reflects the thoughts of the Minister of the day. That does not, however, make up for the sins of the past and how it was dealt with from the very outset.

The report of the expert commission clearly stated that it is technically possible to go underground with this interconnector. Reliability is still a concern for some but all are agreed it is technically possible. There is still a dispute over costs but at the first meeting I had with EirGrid officials, which Deputy Shane McEntee and Deputy Simon Coveney also attended, I was told this could not be put underground, that it was not possible. Since then I, along with my other colleagues, Deputies Regina Doherty, Heather Humphreys, Seán Conlan, Ray Butler and Joe O'Reilly, have met EirGrid and we were told it would cost up to 40 times as much. Since then, EirGrid has met people who have told the company it would be 20 times the cost, ten times the cost or eight times the cost. It has changed so much that we are now debating two or three times the cost, and everyone accepts this can happen. There has been a great improvement but what happened was disgraceful. The unnecessary hassle, concern and cost to the communities we represent in Meath, Cavan and Monaghan was unacceptable. Those communities had to fight a State organisation that was up to the job and did not check all alternatives.

We are further on now with more information. I thank the NEPP on behalf of the Meath and Monaghan anti-pylon campaigns for all the work it did with us as representatives to develop our thoughts on this and bring it to a stage where a proper report by international experts was commissioned. It brings clarity to many issues. The experts were clear that the high voltage direct current, HVDC, line was worth looking at. In the early discussions, everyone ruled that out but the experts were very generous in saying it was due to improvements in technology, offering EirGrid an opportunity to excuse its behaviour. That HVDC line was ruled out five years ago but now we know it is possible. The debate continues about its reliability and the merging of areas but we can work on that.

It is to be hoped we can use the reports by the commission and the committee to develop this further. We must recognise the work that was done and at high cost to some involved in the process. That is not the way it should be. If any further planning applications are submitted in the years ahead, there must be a proper debate on them.

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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I am grateful to Deputy Damien English for raising this important issue. The Meath-Tyrone transmission line has been in development since 2006 and has been marked by considerable local controversy, as Deputy English has noted. In line with the programme for Government, I appointed an independent international commission last year to review the case for, and cost of, placing all or part of the project underground. I received the commission report in January and forwarded it to the Oireachtas committee for debate and consultation. The committee heard from all stakeholders, including local residents' groups, and published its report on 15 June.

The commission's report is not prescriptive and does not recommend any particular option. In assessing technology options, the commission considers that a new HVDC underground cable would be a feasible solution, while estimating that the cost could be approximately three times as much as the overhead option, costs that would be borne by electricity consumers. I note that EirGrid does not agree that placing the connector underground is appropriate for the North-South project on the grounds of both technical feasibility and cost. The Oireachtas committee's report does not make definitive conclusions on the costs or technical feasibility of placing underground the North-South line. It notes the differing views and also outlines some concerns about the new HVDC technology.

The Government wishes to have policy certainty on the strategic and economic importance of developing infrastructure such as the proposed North-South transmission line. Accordingly, following the reports of the expert commission and the Oireachtas committee, the Government this week considered a comprehensive memorandum dealing with the strategic importance of transmission and other energy infrastructure. The Government approved a statement of policy on the matter, which I am publishing on the Department's website today. An Bord Pleanála will be required to have due regard to the policy objectives set out in this statement of Government policy.

In the statement, the Government reaffirms the imperative need to develop and renew our energy networks to meet both economic and social policy goals. The planning process provides the necessary framework to ensure necessary standards are met and comprehensive consultation is built into the process. The Government acknowledges the need for social acceptance and the need to build community gain into project planning and budgeting. The Government mandates the network companies to plan their developments safely, efficiently and economically. They are also required to address and mitigate human, environmental and landscape impacts.

The Government does not direct infrastructure developers to particular sites routes or technologies but it endorses, supports and promotes the strategic programmes of energy infrastructure providers, particularly EirGrid's Grid 25 investment programme. It is Government policy and in the national interest, not least in the current economic circumstances, that these investment programmes are delivered in the most cost-efficient and timely way possible, on the basis of the best available knowledge and informed engagement on the impacts and the costs of different engineering solutions.

On the Meath-Tyrone transmission line, I have advised my Government colleagues that it is now an operational matter for EirGrid to complete preparations for re-submitting a planning application to An Bord Pleanála, taking appropriate account of the reports of the commission and the committee. It will be a matter for An Bord Pleanála to address all relevant factors in arriving at a final decision, including the Government's policy statement.

I fully agree with the Oireachtas committee that EirGrid must respect the need for early, ongoing, informed and transparent engagement with stakeholders and local communities in progressing its planning application, and I have made this view plain to EirGrid.

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for his clarity and for updating us on the position. As a local Deputy I am disappointed that the Government cannot or will not come out and specifically suggest a technology. I would not expect the Government to suggest the route because I understand who will pick the route and I accept that. However, I hope there can be direction with regard to the technology. I accept it cannot be done for whatever reason. Not even the committee could sort out the meshed network, but that work will continue. However, for the purpose of clarity, is it fair to say that the door is open now for either technology to be used? Five suggestions were given by the commission of experts. Is the door open for everyone, including EirGrid, to examine this properly? It may be possible to convince the company that this can be done within cost. It is important to know the position because previously, that door was closed. I am keen to ensure that I am reading the situation correctly.

The other matter I would like to discuss is the question of whether the overhead option is the most economical in terms of costs. I dispute the claim that the underground option would cost three times as much. It may be less. Even if it were twice as much we could have a debate and try to swing it over. Is there room to manoeuvre? Can we work on the costs in a timely way? The experts never did so but will the Minister get an assessment of the real cost of delay? We should factor these into the real cost of this project. The Minister referred to informed engagement. From my comments earlier, the Minister will realise that I never fully believed that EirGrid was informed about underground technologies or that it really sought to be. I assume this means EirGrid must be so informed and that An Bord Pleanála will have the power to assess the application on its merits and the case for all of these technologies.

The Minister stated that EirGrid must take appropriate account of the reports of the commission and the committee. Will we be able to refer to those reports and to the experts' opinions from the commission reports? It is important to have these available and it is important that the people have trust in this application. I have maintained in all of the debates that we need fair play and a fair crack of the whip. I take it from the Minister's reply that we will now have this opportunity, although I would have preferred if the Minister had announced today that we were putting it underground. Will the Minister clarify that we will have a fair crack of the whip, that we will get a chance to argue for a certain technology and that EirGrid will be obliged to improve its listening and engagement style? Otherwise this will not be dealt with properly by An Bord Pleanála.

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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I assure Deputy English and his colleagues in respect of the latter point that EirGrid must have regard to the policy statement endorsed by the Government yesterday. That policy statement will be available this afternoon and will be sent to the various stakeholders concerned.

Deputy English has put a blunt question to me about whether the door is open to underground options. I have no wish to mislead the Deputy or the House. The question can only be answered in the context of the statement of policy agreed yesterday. Having said that, I am not being prescriptive about an issue that is best decided by the planning process. Government policy is that any decision should be timely and cost-efficient, and I say as much given the times in which we live. Deputy English will know that the Tyrone-Meath line is only one line in a transmission network envisaged in the GRID25 strategy. I must be careful; there would have to be a compelling case to treat this one line differently from the rest. However, when the Deputy has an opportunity to study the statement of policy he will appreciate that all the work put in by the international commission and Deputy Andrew Doyle and his committee is reflected in it. EirGrid and An Bord Pleanála must have regard to the Government's statement of policy in the matter of the delivery of infrastructure for such energy projects.