Shane Cassells (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Last night the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications published the report of the expert independent review on the North-South interconnector project. It is simply unbelievable that a Green Party Minister could stand over this report, whereby 300 megastructures - pylons - will be put across the landscape of Meath, Cavan, and Monaghan, and that he can think this is environmentally good. The last time I checked, I thought the Green Party was for the environment, but somehow steel megastructures going through historically sensitive areas is okay. Perhaps the environment only exists within the confines of Dublin and not beyond it. This independent report just looked at the various other reports that were done down through the years. This has been going on for 15 years. The Leader, Senator Doherty, and I have long been working on this issue. Going back to a report in 2008 it was acknowledged that undergrounding technology "is noted to play an important role in urban and congested areas, or where site specific environmental constraints occur, for example, within areas of outstanding scenic beauty". It is reprehensible that the consistent concerns of public representatives and the public are not acknowledged. What are we trading off here in terms of the constant calls for energy security vis-à-visthe desecration for decades if not hundreds of years to come by what is being purported here?

At a briefing yesterday evening, which disgracefully was held at short notice-----