Denis Landy (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the statement by the independent expert panel that was set up to oversee the integrity of the process to be undertaken by EirGrid on the Grid Link and Grid West projects. Yesterday, the independent panel, which has met on four occasions, issued a statement and also issued the terms of reference under which it will examine the integrity of the work that EirGrid has done to date, particularly on the issue of using overhead lines as against undergrounding the service. The terms of reference include assessments of potential environmental impacts, economic implications and also technical efficacy and cost factors. I note in particular that the expert panel, as per its terms of reference, now has the right to review the reports and to get outside expert opinion on the reports that EirGrid has and will submit to it. I welcome this because, to date, any of the interactions that many of us in this Chamber have had with EirGrid were "botchy", to say the least. We received different opinions, viewpoints and expert responses from EirGrid, both at committee level and at public meetings, and at consultations in a hotel not far from this House. We have found that most of what the agency has stated has turned out to be incorrect.

There is an issue I want the Deputy Leader to clarify for us on this matter. In the statement issued yesterday by the independent expert panel, it is stated that its findings will be returned to the Minister in due course. There is some concern in the country, especially in my county of Tipperary but also in Kilkenny, Carlow, through the midlands and as far as Senator Kelly's area of Roscommon, that this action will go on for too long. We would like clarity as to when the expert panel will finalise its report and give it to the Minister. If we could get clarity on that, it would be welcomed.