Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Alex White, to the House. Senator Reilly has four minutes.

Kathryn Reilly (Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister for coming into the House this morning to take this Commencement Matter. The issue of the North-South interconnector is one which I, and other Senators and Deputies, have raised over the past number of years. The North-South interconnector planning application by EirGrid is poised to have a huge detrimental impact all across the north-east area. It is a project that carries major public concerns, as the Minister is aware. This is evidenced by the large number of objections that have been received by An Bord Pleanála. The people of Cavan, Monaghan and Meath have made their position very clear on the North-South interconnector and how the construction of over 400 pylons carrying 400,000 volts of electricity should be abandoned in favour of undergrounding. Through the north-east pylon pressure campaign, Monaghan anti-pylon committee, and other community organisations, the people of these areas have found their voice. With that voice they have said a resounding "No" to high-voltage overhead power lines supported by pylons running through their communities, beside their houses, and through their lands. The concerns of these people are very real and should be addressed by the Government and EirGrid. There are genuine worries for health, the environment, the landscape, the economic development of the areas concerned, and many more. The people and communities concerned have outlined their position over a number of years and that position is that this should be undergrounded. Report after report, including one published by the Government-appointed International expert commission, has proved that undergrounding of the power lines is both possible and feasible. Indeed, many argue that in the medium to long-term, it is economically beneficial to underground this connector.

I raise this Commencement matter today because of the recently launched €42 billion capital plan, which includes €5.75 billion specifically related to energy infrastructure. One of the key projects that is earmarked for delivery by the Government is the North-South interconnector. Is the capital funding commitment for the North-South interconnector contained in the capital programme Building for Recovery: Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2016-2021 dependent on the project proceeding over ground or will the project still be funded under the programme if it is delivered in an alternative way, that is through undergrounding?Will the Minister advise on some of the following issues? How much funding has been allocated for the project? What are the conditions associated with it? Does he believe there was a failure by EirGrid to consider the undergrounding option or does he believe it could be considered as a viable alternative? Will there be a commitment to explore that option further? Following this, could there be a commitment to fund that option?

I take the opportunity to highlight once again the following points of relevance, given the level of concern among communities in the north east, namely, counties Cavan, Monaghan and Meath. Communities across the north east have voiced their full support for the project if it is to be constructed using modern underground cable technologysystems. EirGrid has conceded that undergrounding is feasible and reliable, with dramatically reduced costs than the company had originally claimed. However, it has persisted in refusing to even examine a site-specific underground route option and instead has routed the overhead lines and pylons across the most densely populated areas of the affected counties.

I wish to be very clear: there is more certainty that delivery of the project would happen sooner if it were to be undergrounded than if there was an to be attempt to proceed with the overground option. Overgrounding will result in nothing but confrontation, conflict and, ultimately, failure. In essence, there will be total opposition. There will be blockades by landowners and communities should that option be proceeded with. It is important to say this because that is the resounding message I have received from the communities concerned and which I wish to convey to the Minister. Communities across the north east believe they are being discriminated against by EirGrid and the Government. The undergrounding analysis made for Grid West and Grid Link was never afforded to the North-South interconnector project. Subsequently, we heard about the decision relating to Grid West not to proceed with the use of pylons because of the use of new technologies. Are we to ignore the realities of technologies when considering the North-South interconnector? EirGrid conceded at a recent Oireachtas joint committee hearing that although HVDC undergrounding was feasible, it had never been examined specifically along roads in the case of the North-South interconnector. Will the Minister ask EirGrid to perhaps withdraw its application until such time as a proper objective analysis of undergrounding has been carried out?

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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The 400kV North-South interconnection project which is part of EirGrid's Grid25 plan to upgrade the national transmission system between now and 2025 is a critical and strategically urgent transmission reinforcement. It will remove restrictions limiting cross-Border power flows between Ireland and Northern Ireland, which will enhance cross-Border support in the event of a shortage of electricity in either jurisdiction, thus strengthening security of electricity supply throughout the island of Ireland.

The project was announced in 2007. Due to the need for a second planning application, the scheduled feedback and consultation period has been ongoing for double the time planned for projects of similar scale such as Grid West or Grid Link. Given the extended public consultation and feedback stage of the project, the public has been afforded good opportunities for feedback.

The project was designated an energy project of common interest, PCI, by the European Commission in October 2013, having been deemed by the Commission to be of strategic, transboundary importance. This is the first PCI in Ireland to be submitted for planning approval.

The North-South project is part of an ongoing process which will be subjected to rigorous assessment as part of the planning processes in both jurisdictions. EirGrid made a formal planning application for the project to An Bord Pleanála on 9 June 2015. A further consultative process subsequently opened to interested parties under section 182A of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended. That consultation concluded on 24 August and An Bord Pleanála is reviewing the submissions. A determination is expected to issue in quarter 2 of 2016 following an oral hearing, most likely to be held in the first quarter of next year. In the light of the fact that the planning application for the project has been submitted to An Bord Pleanála for determination, it would not be appropriate for me to comment on issues that may form part of the board's deliberative process.

As was confirmed in the capital investment plan published by my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, on 29 September, our investment in national energy infrastructure is critical to having a continuous supply of affordable and safe electricity and gas to domestic and business consumers on a nationwide basis. That investment is costly, but it will be necessary to ensure additional capacity to facilitate the achievement of longer term renewables targets, particularly in relation to wind energy and meeting our 40% renewable electricity target. The level of investment by the ESB, Ervia, Bord na Móna and EirGrid in transmission and distribution networks, renewable and conventional power generation, as well as smart metering programmes to 2021, will be in the region of €5.75 billion.

If planning consent is granted for the North-South interconnector, it is estimated that the cost of constructing the part of the overall project located in Ireland will be €180 million. The estimated cost of constructing the part located in Northern Ireland is €106 million, giving a total estimated capital cost for the project of €286 million.

Kathryn Reilly (Sinn Fein)
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Does the Minister believe there was a failure to consider the undergrounding option, in particular now that EirGrid has conceded that undergrounding is feasible but that it had not examined a specific route along roads for the North-South interconnector? Does he believe it is time to carry out an objective analysis? If such an analysis was to be carried out and undergrounding was considered to be feasible, would it be possible to explore the option and would funding be provided for undergrounding if that was the case?

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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The position is that the project is at planning stage and before An Bord Pleanála. As the Senator is aware, the project has a long history. From as far back as 2007, there have been a number of processes involving and providing for consultation. When my predecessor, Deputy Pat Rabbitte, held this ministerial portfolio, he set up an expert panel to advise and to report to him and subsequently to me on EirGrid's proposals. EirGrid has reported to me on both Grid West and Grid Link. The panel was also asked to examine the North-South interconnector and apply itself to the question the Senator asked, namely, what methodologies were employed by EirGrid in assessing the viability or otherwise of undergrounding and overgrounding of the North-South interconnector. The expert panel was satisfied that the methodologies applied by EirGrid to the North-South interconnector were as robust as those employed in the case of Grid Link and Grid West. They are matters that have been addressed and on which there has been considerable consultation. I accept that there are concerns about the North-South interconnector with respect to some of the areas through which it is proposed that the interconnector would run, but I cannot emphasise sufficiently - the Senator did not refer to this - the critical importance of the project for the provision of a safe and secure electricity supply both here and in the North. This is a critical North-South project of enormous importance to both jurisdictions. That is the approach I have taken to the matter in terms of its critical importance to us.

As for the planning process, it is robust and every opportunity will be available to people to raise their concerns about the issue, but I will not trespass on these issues, given that there is a statutory body, namely, An Bord Pleanála, dealing with the application. It will make its decision in due course.