Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is of great importance to the farming and tourism sectors and to families in this location. In December 2016, An Bord Pleanála granted approval of the proposed construction of the North-South 400 kV interconnector in counties Cavan, Meath and Monaghan. The highest voltage in use in the United Kingdom is 400 kV volts. An Bord Pleanála awarded planning permission to construct 299 pylons that are, as Senator Gallagher has pointed out, between 25 m and 51 m in height. EirGrid and Northern Ireland Electricity jointly planned this major cross-Border electricity scheme linking the existing 400 kV substation in Woodland, County Meath, with a planned substation in Turleenan, County Tyrone.

I appeal to all Members of the House, both in opposition and in government, to support this motion. I am disappointed the Government has tabled an amendment to this motion, a watered-down amendment which is not acceptable to the people concerned with this proposed project. Over the past ten or 12 years, members of the County Monaghan Anti-Pylon Committee and the North East Pylon Pressure campaign in County Meath have been extremely active in conveying the views and concerns of local communities regarding these proposals. Those concerns have also been highlighted by their public representatives in counties Meath, Monaghan and Cavan. I attended my first meeting more than ten years ago in Kingscourt, County Cavan. I am glad to see in the Gallery this afternoon Councillor Clifford Kelly, a long-serving member of Cavan County Council representing that area. At a recent Cavan County Council meeting, Councillor Kelly, on behalf of Fianna Fáil outlined very eloquently the concerns of these communities. In both Cavan and Monaghan county councils, all parties were represented and all were of the same view. This project, as it currently stands and as currently approved by An Bord Pleanála, cannot go ahead. That is the view of all political parties and none. I put that on the record of the House. The concerns of these communities have to be taken into consideration. EirGrid has shown nothing but disregard for the worries of these communities. That is also not acceptable. Senator Gallagher has pointed out the differential in what we were told the cost of undergrounding would be. Ten years ago it was over 20 times and five years ago it was six or seven times. Most recently at an Oireachtas joint committee meeting, it was said the technology was there to underground it, something that was continually denied for ten or more years. It was finally agreed over 12 months ago that the technology existed for this to be undergrounded but that it would be three times the cost. The most recent independent figures show it would be slightly over 1.2% higher.Some studies indicate that it could be even cheaper than that. We are not against the interconnector project and neither are the communities we represent but they are against it being overground. There is no logical reason an independent review cannot be carried out to investigate once and for all whether this is feasible. We are confident that an independent review would show this option is feasible and that it would be on par with or only slightly dearer than the overground option.