David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Fergus O'Dowd, to the House to debate this important motion. We tabled the motion to be helpful and constructive. There is considerable public concern about energy policy, specifically in regard to industrial wind turbines, overhead power lines and the plans by Eirgrid to expand the electricity grid across various parts of the State. These justified concerns have been articulated in submissions by members of the public and campaigning groups in response to EirGrid's Grid Link project for the south, the west and the south east and the North-South interconnector.

There appears to be a problem with this Government's approach to proper decision making. On too many occasions we have seen the Government jump with two feet into projects without considering alternatives that in the long term might cause fewer problems and even save money. For example, Sinn Féin made alternative proposals on water charges and if the Government had listened it may not have ended up with the controversy of spending massive amounts of money on consultant fees or the debacle we saw in Irish Water. A pattern appears to exist in the way in which this Government approaches policy and decision making. There is an unhealthy contempt for Opposition views and alternative. The Government seems to want to plough on with what it considers the best policies, which are not always the best policies, regardless of the concerns of those who live in communities and the Opposition in general. We have seen the same issue arise in regard to the construction of pylons and wind turbines.

If the Government had been willing to listen to alternative proposals, it might not have found itself in the position in which it is and it may have ended up with a much smoother path in governing and in realising the energy policies at which we all want to arrive.

More than 35,000 people made submissions to EirGrid on the pylon projects, which is unprecedented. A huge number of people made the effort to make a submission. Many people in my county of Waterford made submissions and not only people directly affected by EirGrid's plans - the erection of pylons up to 43 m high and high voltage overhead powerlines and those who live in close proximity to them - but many people who live far away from the proposed routes who are angry and do not agree with putting these pylons through the heart of the Lismore area in Waterford and the heart of the Comeragh Mountains, for example. Many people see it as an act of vandalism and completely unnecessary. Those concerns were clearly articulated in the submissions made by members of the public on EirGrid's plans. They emphasise public opinion on the matter.

Considering the multitude of views, it is imperative the Government takes account of all of the views on pylons and the possible effects they can have on the communities through which they pass. People have many concerns, including the potential health risks, the impact on the value of land, on livestock and on farms and the imposition on the natural landscape and on the built heritage. I gave the example of the Comeragh Mountains. Many people who recognise the beauty of the Comeragh Mountains do not want to see them spoiled by pylons of up to 43 m in height in a string going right through the heart of those mountains, or, indeed, through the beautiful area of Lismore, the midlands or anywhere in the south east, whether Wicklow, Wexford or wherever the planned routes are. People do not want to see their landscape spoiled by these pylons, if it is unnecessary and if there are alternatives, to which I want to get.

I do not believe this Government has properly investigated the alternatives. I certainly do not believe EirGrid has given any serious consideration at all to the alternatives. In fact, it has been very closed in its mind and in its opinion in regard to the undergrounding of cables. It is interesting that six years ago when this first became a big issue with the North-South interconnector, EirGrid was on record as saying that going underground could not technically be done and that it was an impossibility. It also said that even if it could be done, it would be 20 times more expensive. Now it has shifted its position and has said it is technically possible and that it is approximately three times more expensive. That is a considerable shift in its position in a short space of time.

That tells me there are two issues here and two conclusions we can draw from this. First, EirGrid was wrong six years ago when it said it was 20 times more expensive and that it could not be done, which then begs the question as to whether it is wrong now. Second, perhaps it was right and that six years ago, it was 20 times more expensive but the technology has improved and it is possible. That is what we are asking the Government to consider. Technology is changing all the time and more countries are looking at different options and are not going for the overground high voltage power lines of the size and scale envisaged in all of these projects.

This is about asking the Government to listen. It is not about it pretending to listen or thanking the public for submissions but saying it is ploughing ahead anyway. That is not consultation and listening to communities or the way Governments should govern. The Government must listen to the people who live in this State and who have genuine concerns, which they have articulated. As with so many issues, the Government parties should also live up to the promises and the pledges they made when in opposition. There is no doubt that in the north west and in counties in that region which are directly affected by EirGrid's plans, Fine Gael was very vocal in opposing what was being proposed at that time by EirGrid and the North-South interconnector. Now things have changed because it is in government, as is the Labour Party. It is a case of ploughing ahead, unquestioning of EirGrid's plans.

The ASKON report identified alternatives to what is envisaged by EirGrid. The report on undergrounding, published in October 2008, made a number of findings. It found underground cables were better suited to integrating the existing grid network, that they were more reliable, that the transmission loss from underground cabling was significantly less than from overground, that underground cables were safer, that there were obvious environmental benefits to undergrounding and that undergrounding could be established at an affordable course with the worst case scenario of €1 per household per year. Surely this report is worthy of consideration and is one which should cause us to reflect on policy and ask ourselves if we should rush in and invest all the money in pylons of this size and scale when in a couple of years' time, technology may have advanced again. One should bear in mind what I said about EirGrid's position six years ago and its position now. What happens in five years time if we are in a position where this can be done even more cheaply and technology has improved even further but we are left with these pylons and not able to do anything about them? That would be disastrous for this State.

I would like to deal with industrial wind turbines, which are causing major concerns for communities. Wind turbines will be dealt with when Sinn Féin launches its Wind Turbine Regulation Bill 2014 tomorrow. That Bill aims to impose a minimum set back distance for wind turbines of ten times their height from dwellings and it deals with proper zoning of sites for wind turbine developments. The Bill addresses the export of wind energy to Britain before Irish energy demands are met. That is central to our motion in terms of the memorandum of understanding with Britain on the export of energy created from renewable sources.

At a time when we are importing energy from fossil fuels from outside this State, we should not be exporting to Britain, or anywhere else, energy created from the natural resources of this State. That is a major concern to the people. The renewable energies of this State should serve the people of this State, who should come first and not people in Britain or anywhere else. This must be for the benefit of this State and the natural resources must be used for the people of this State.

That goes right to the heart of the argument against the development of massive wind turbines in the midlands region, that is, for-profit wind turbines exporting energy. The energy produced from the turbines proposed for the midlands cannot be connected to the Irish grid, meaning that the gross energy produced would be exported to Britain. Ireland has renewable energy targets to reach and domestic consumers have witnessed their energy bills rising but the Minister is proposing to export our renewable energy production to Britain. However, it is clear that its development must be in the interests of the Irish people and become part of domestic energy production.

I will listen to the Minister's contribution and those of his colleagues but I am very much of the view that we should reflect on what people and communities are saying and develop an energy policy that makes sense and benefits the Irish people and puts them first. That is what our motion is about. I hope we can have a constructive debate on the merits of our motion and view on Government policy.