Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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3. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if there has been any risk-benefit analysis carried out regarding the impact that the EirGrid grid link project will have on the agricultural economy of south Tipperary; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that south Tipperary has a thriving beef and dairy industry with major companies having long established businesses there; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48462/13]

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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I asked this question because there could be implications if we do not do a cost-benefit analysis and impact assessment of the damage that will be done to agriculture in south Tipperary and elsewhere by this ruinous project, which serves big business and will not do what it is supposed to, namely, maintain our energy supplies. I plead with the Minister. His colleague, the Minister of State, met a select group last Monday night, kept his head down and said that the project would go ahead and that the Government could not stop it. I am depending on the Minister. I believed that the Minister of State, Deputy Tom Hayes, would look after south Tipperary, but unfortunately he will not.

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Misquoting again.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I will not rise to the bait to create some kind of political-----

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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Freagair an ceist. There is no bait.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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First of all, this question should really have been directed to the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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He will not answer.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Grid 25 represents a more than €3 billion investment programme to develop and upgrade the electricity transmission network across the country. Of course this will involve a network crossing rural areas. We already have a considerable electricity network crossing farmland all over the country without any significant negative consequence of which I am aware. Perhaps the Deputy can provide evidence to suggest that there is. We already have two 410 kV lines crossing the midlands from Moneypoint to Dublin. The vast majority of that journey is farmland, but I am unaware of any disastrous consequence from that.

There is an obligation on EirGrid to do a proper job, including all of the assessments that are necessary to reassure people and to pick the right route, but it is not for me as the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to dictate to EirGrid how it should do that. It has a statutory obligation to do it properly. We are in the middle of a public consultation process in that regard and people are having their say. They are vocal and concerned about this matter.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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As the Minister should be.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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We need to provide sufficient information and supporting evidence to reassure people, but I do not accept that putting electricity infrastructure around the country, thereby improving our grid, a move from which everyone will benefit in terms of energy prices, as this is not just a question of big and small business-----

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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Of course it is.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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It is a question of putting a modern electricity infrastructure across the country so that we can do what me must in terms of renewables and move electricity around the country. We need to do this properly, which is EirGrid's statutory obligation.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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I acknowledge that the Minister attended to answer these questions. I tabled questions to the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Rabbitte, but they were ruled out of order because he claimed that he had no responsibility for EirGrid. He can appear on every radio show, including the local station of the Minister of State and me yesterday, as its spokesperson, but he will not answer to the House. Accountability is gone out the window. The Government complained about this when it was in opposition.

The Minister of State and many of his colleagues were bussed down to Coolmore Stud some time ago, but I have deliberately not mentioned the equine industry or the massive effect that overhead cables will have on it. It is large enough to fight for itself. I am sure that the busload of backbenchers who travelled with the Minister of State will be able to fight for it. I am representing the ordinary people. EirGrid has stated that it would prefer cereals to be grown under these cables, not livestock.

The Minister knows the importance of agriculture. His duty is to spend the money that Deputy Ó Cuív claimed he did not spend. However, his duty seems to be to claim that this is not his responsibility, but that of the other Minister, Deputy Rabbitte. He referred to energy security. I accept that is important, but we cannot devastate the rich farmlands of south Tipperary and we cannot allow big business to plunder south Tipperary. We kept Cromwell out of south Tipperary and we will keep EirGrid out as well. If the Minister will not do it, we will have to do it ourselves. The Minister of State, Deputy Tom Hayes, will unfortunately not do it, but the Minister should.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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This is not about big and small business.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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It is.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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This is about trying to put modern infrastructure in place-----

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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Lies and damned lies.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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-----that everyone will benefit from in terms of more affordable electricity and a more efficient mechanism for transporting energy around the country. It will also allow us to put new types of energy generation in place in parts of the country. We are in the middle of a process, but the Deputy is suggesting that I-----

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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Protect agriculture.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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-----get involved in that process. We have a State-owned company, EirGrid, the responsibility of which is to roll out infrastructure across the country. As part of that, it is going through a legal process involving planning applications and public consultation. This process will take its course. EirGrid is obliged to put infrastructure in place in a way that is responsible, takes account of best international practice and reassures the public that it is safe.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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I am not suggesting that the Minister should do anything. I am demanding that he, as the Minister responsible for agriculture with his colleague, stand up and protect rural Ireland and farmers from something that will have consequences for generations. The Minister did not mention Food Harvest 2020, but we in south Tipperary and the Golden Vale play a major part in that. It must be defended. I demand that the Minister step up to the plate as the line Minister, with the Minister of State, who I wish no ill, and tell EirGrid that these lines can go around. The Minister knows this better than anyone. He is a man who likes a bit of sailing. In our case - it is not much good for the rest of the country - they could easily go around the seashore to Wexford from Cork, where they start. They cannot in other cases. However, EirGrid does not want to do this. It can be and has been done elsewhere. I do not want the Minister to become a spokesperson for EirGrid. The Minister, Deputy Rabbitte, is its mouthpiece. Unfortunately, he will not answer questions in the Dáil, but he will go on every airwave, including "Morning Ireland" this morning, to rubbish them. Every Government Member opposed the north-south line while in opposition and promised that, when they got into government, they would shred that plan and put everything underground or else nothing would happen.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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When I was in opposition, I was involved in this debate. We did not promise to put everything underground.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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The Minister's colleagues up and down the country did.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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They did not, actually.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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I was at public meetings in the north east where-----

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I have met the North East Pylon Pressure, NEPP, group a number of times. Many good people are involved in it. I was involved in long hearings at committee level that examined the different technologies, potential alternative solutions and the costs involved. This is not an easy issue to resolve. Anyone who pretends it is, that we could put everything underground and that there would be no problem for anyone, is being misleading.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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The sea has not been examined.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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There is a difference between a direct current line and an alternating current line, which is what the grid must be. If one takes electricity from A to B without needing to take any power from that infrastructure between those two points, one can use a direct current line. It is much easier to put direct current lines underground. We do it all of the time. Alternating current, which is what the grid needs to be, poses a more complex problem. The Deputy should know this. We are in the process of trying to roll out that grid while reassuring the public. EirGrid has an obligation to do so to the best of its ability. It is in the middle of that process.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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The Minister has made a nice new appointment of a CEO.