Kathryn Reilly (Sinn Fein)
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I welcome the Minister to the House and am delighted he could attend in person for the discussion on the report he commissioned. I thank him for convening that group and publishing its report.

The commissioned report is a detailed piece of work, the result of intensive lobbying by concerned communities throughout the State, especially in the Cavan-Monaghan-Meath region, in respect of the North-South interconnector. It is a by-product of an election promise by the Government to review and report on a case for, and cost of, undergrounding all or part of the Meath-Tyrone 400 kV powerlines.

At often great personal cost, financial and otherwise, community representatives have challenged and matched the unlimited resources the State's apparatus in their journey to get these cables undergrounded. The lack of a definitive recommendation as to whether the electricity cables should go above or below ground leaves wide open the avenue for the Minister to instruct EirGrid to underground the cables. Unlike EirGrid, which has vehemently opposed the undergrounding of the interconnector, the key finding here must be that the expert commission found that such undergrounding is a realistic solution. It was not that it was impossible, nor that it would cost 20 times the cost of overgrounding, as had been stated previously by EirGrid in any debates prior to this.

EirGrid must now accept that undergrounding these cables is a viable solution. It is primarily driven by significant technical developments and a commercial breakthrough of the most recently developed VSC-HVDC technology. The report is of significant value to the argument surrounding the use and feasibility of undergrounding technology. The report's findings and EirGrid's stubbornness in failing to admit that it could use undergrounding has been described as being similar to someone still using analogue television when the rest of the world is moving on to digital services. This endorses what Sinn Féin and the campaigning communities have consistently stated and it flies in the face of EirGrid's assertions.

The commission notes that the project will be slightly more expensive but it does not take into account the additional costs associated with overhead power lines and pylons. Issues of note that were not provided for in the terms of reference include environmental impact assessments, land and property devaluation, the impact on farming and agriculture and the potential effects of pylons on people's health.

Where to now? The Minister stated that following a brief period of consultation he would revert to the Government with a memorandum on security of energy supply to which EirGrid and the planning process will have regard. How long with the consultation process last and to whom will it be open? What influence will the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Communications, Natural Resources and Agriculture exert over this? When can we expect the memorandum to be published? Will it be enforced by the Minister or will it simply be an advisory note to which EirGrid and planners can choose to have regard? If EirGrid had had its way, there would not have been a report, these massive pylons would have been erected by now and the people would still be fed the same story that undergrounding is not possible or feasible. Most important, will the Minister halt further activity on the interconnector until the consultation process on the report coupled with the analysis of the memorandum has been completed?

This time last year, Fine Gael, which is the largest Government party, promised that it would direct EirGrid to halt further activity on the interconnector until the analysis had been conducted but that has not happened. The party also said it would instruct EirGrid to reimburse community groups for all relevant costs associated with participation in the oral hearing process in 2010 and that has not happened either. Given EirGrid has completed the first round of non-statutory public consultation in preparation for submitting a formal new application to An Bord Pleanála, people do not just have the right to inform the process but, as the option has been deemed feasible, they have the right to have their costs reimbursed. I would like the Minister, separately, to instruct EirGrid to do that. The company should not be allowed to plough ahead with its plans until this report has been seriously analysed.

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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I would like to stress the strategic imperative for this economy and our citizens of cost effective investment in electricity networks. The Government is committed to ensuring that the investment plans of EirGrid and ESB Networks are delivered across the country. The significant level of grid investment required over the next decade is critical for safe and secure electricity supply. It will underpin regional economic growth and job creation and it will enable delivery of the Government's renewable energy ambitions in line with Ireland's EU targets.

The security of energy supply is fundamental to the well being of all society and to the economy. Ireland is a peripheral island energy market which is vulnerable to the effects of international disruptions to oil and gas supplies. I confirm that I will bring a memorandum on security of energy supplies to Government in the coming weeks and the consultation period I envisaged at the time I published the report was approximately six weeks. I cannot control the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Communications, Natural Resources and Agriculture and, therefore, I do not know how long it will take to assess the issue. The committee will influence the outcome. I will stop all development until the consultation period is over. Having said that, there is a necessity to get on with this project as quickly as we can.

The memorandum to which the Senator referred will address the imperative of cost effective investment in the electricity and gas transmission and distribution networks and the need to build other critical energy infrastructure in the national interest. The North-South interconnector is vital infrastructure for the island, something that is not questioned by any reasonable citizen. The lack of sufficient interconnection between the North and South is preventing the full benefits of the all-island market being realised. The continued absence of the interconnector is costing the economies, North and South, up to €30 million every year. It is vital for security of electricity supply on this island. It is critically needed to connect renewable energy to the system and to deliver economic development in the north-east region.

The North-South project has been under development since 2005 and is recognised by the EU as a strategically vital project. In common with all such transmission line projects around Europe, the plans for the North-South line have been marked by controversy. The programme for Government committed to the appointment of an international commission to review and report on the case for, and cost of, undergrounding the Meath-Tyrone power lines. I appointed the international expert commission last July. The members, from Sweden, Norway and Belgium, have long-standing professional and academic credentials and experience in transmission and power systems.

Meetings were held by the commission members with EirGrid, CER, ESB Networks, County Monaghan Anti-Pylon Committee, the Irish Farmers' Association, and the North-East Pylon Pressure Group and, at my request, they also met Oireachtas representatives from counties Cavan, Monaghan and Meath. The commission also toured much of the proposed route. I received the commission's report on 9 January and, having advised Government colleagues, published the report on my Department's website on 17 January. I also forwarded the report to the Chairman of the Oireachtas committee. Publication of the report allows for a period of reflection for some weeks. I encourage Senators to read the report.

In the time available, I do not propose to go into the detail of its analysis but the report is succinct, thorough and easily accessible. I welcome it as a further independent input into the debate on transmission lines. The commission recognises the importance of the Meath-Tyrone transmission line for consumers and security of supply, North and South. The commission notes that there is no single '"right" solution. Technical solutions must be project specific. The report does not, therefore, recommend any particular technical option, while recommending against wholly undergrounding using AC cable. It provides its own views on the feasible technology options available for consideration for the Meath-Tyrone project, including HVDC technology, given the changes in technology, suppliers and costs in recent years. In that context, the commission estimates that the cost of implementing the project as an HVDC underground cable option would be three times the cost of the traditional overhead line option, while noting that costs estimates are always uncertain. I commend the report to the Seanad. I welcome its scrutiny and a thoroughgoing debate by the Oireachtas joint committee in the near future.