Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I raise the issue of the North-South interconnector, a 400 kV line running from County Meath to County Tryone and passing through counties Monaghan and Cavan. It is 138 km in length. Will the Leader ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment to come to the House at the earliest opportunity to discuss comments which appeared last week in the Irish Independent and attributed to EirGrid? Eirgrid stated there was no legal onus on it or the ESB regarding access to land owned by farmers along the route. These comments have angered and further frustrated farmers and landowners along the entire route, as the Leader can well imagine. There are approximately 504 access points along the interconnector route. Clearly, access to lands will be required if the project is to succeed.

The other issue that emerged from the newspaper article involved the ESB ploughing on with the procurement of pylons for the project, notwithstanding the fact that planning permission has yet to be granted in Northern Ireland. What does that say about the planning process in this country? What message does it send for the State to carry on in this way? I ask the Minister to come to the House at the earliest opportunity to update Members on where the project is at, to explain to law-abiding people in counties Meath, Cavan and Monaghan what the State is doing and to react to the comments attributed to Eirgrid in the Irish Independentlast week.