Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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83. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the input of his Department on the environmental aspects of pylons and underground cables as part of the review being established by the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. [5348/14]

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Does the Deputy want to introduce the question?

Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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No.

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The strategic environmental assessment, SEA, directive, 2001/42/EC, which has been transposed into Irish law, establishes the process by which environmental considerations are required to be fully integrated into the preparation of plans and programmes prior to their final adoption. It is the responsibility of the competent authority in the relevant sector, in this case EirGrid, to determine if plans and programmes being prepared by it fall within the scope of the SEA directive and to determine whether there is a requirement to carry out an environmental assessment in consultation with the environmental authorities under the regulation. While my Department has no direct role in the process, I understand an environmental report was published on the Grid25 project.

In announcing the establishment of an expert panel to oversee the preparation of reports on the best route options for the provision of high voltage power lines, the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources also announced additional steps being taken to address matters that may arise in the expert panel's considerations. One of these additional measures is a study that will be commissioned by my Department which will engage expert assistance to review and report on international developments in respect of the potential health risks of electromagnetic fields emanating from transmission grid infrastructure. In March 2007 the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources published the report of the expert group established to examine the health effects of electromagnetic fields. The purpose of the new study will be to provide the best available information on published, peer reviewed scientific literature relating to non-ionising radiation and associated health related matters, work carried out under and the findings of relevant international bodies, relevant international and national standards and guidelines since the publication of the 2007 report. I expect the invitation to tender to issue shortly through the eTenders website, with a view to commissioning the study by early March. The estimated completion time of the study is approximately two to three months, thus allowing completion and presentation of the final report by early summer.

Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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With the establishment of the review, the Minister's colleagues have obviously recognised that this issue needs to be examined further and that the consultation was inadequate.

The Minister's view of the current position is obviously based on the fact that there are problems. Is he happy that this development is not having a negative effect on farming, habitats and the environment generally? He seemed to say EirGrid and other companies involved could decide whether they should have an environmental assessment carried out. He basically said it was up to them to decide, but is he happy that his Department will let them do so? Perhaps he might explain how the companies involved in the midlands wind energy for export projects are using underground cables. The former CEO of EirGrid, Mr. Dermot Byrne, who is now with Element Power, one of the companies concerned, has had a Pauline conversion on the issue of undergrounding. As these companies are profit-based, even more so than EirGrid, why have they now decided to place cables underground?

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I am not going to speak about a particular company or project. I am not aware of the details involved.

Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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No, I am generalising.

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Yes. The SEA directive which has been transposed into Irish law establishes a process to consider all matters relating to the environment. The expert panel will review all of the processes to see if they are required. It will not be within the sole remit of EirGrid to decide that issue. Some 35,000 submissions were made on these matters. The Government is entitled to examine public opinions as expressed through the submissions and that is what we are doing.

Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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I hope the Minister is not taking account only of these 35,000 submissions but also of the opinions that will be expressed on 23 June. I hope that is not the motivation.

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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What is happening on 23 June?

Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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I am sorry - 23 May. I hope the 35,000 submissions have made the Minister realise that he needs to take a second look at this issue. He is organising a report on electromagnetic fields and will engage expert assistance, but who does he have in mind in this regard? When will that process begin and conclude? I hope it will not be a cut and paste version of the European Commission's report that is supposed to be issued today.

Will the Minister clarify, with a brief yes or no answer, the position on the North-South interconnector? The Taoiseach now says it is included, but the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Pat Rabbitte, is unsure. The chairperson of the commission said the expert panel would "Consider what, if anything, we can do." Will the Minister clarify the position for me? Is the North-South interconnector project in or out?

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy is correct on one of the options he mentioned; the expert panel will consider the matter concerning the North-South interconnector and come to its view in the next couple of weeks.

As regards the terms of reference of the study which applies to my Department, they are set out on the basis of identifying and examining all relevant peer-reviewed scientific literature, including the study of non-ionising radiation conducted in 2007 by the previous Government. It also includes any work done by the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland, which is within my Department's area of responsibility. It will be engaging with the process to ensure all of the various national and international standards and the available literature will be reviewed. That will ensure we will have the best possible information available to the expert group.