Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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1658. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will give detailed and urgent consideration to a request regarding the proposed North-South interconnector (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34817/14]

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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Following a Government decision, the Independent Expert Panel was asked to oversee the integrity of a process to be undertaken by EirGrid to report on the Grid West and Grid Link projects. While the North South Transmission Line project (North-South) is not covered by the Government’s decision, the Panel also agreed to provide an opinion on the compatibility of the methodologies to be employed on the Grid West and Grid Link projects with what has already been done on the North-South project.

Having considered a substantial amount of written material and discussed various issues, both within the Panel and with EirGrid personnel, the Panel is unanimously of the opinion that, in all material respects, what has already been done on the North-South project is compatible with the methodologies now being employed on the Grid West and Grid Link projects.

The Panel also noted that the North-South project is part of an on-going process which, the Panel expects, will be subjected to a rigorous assessment as part of the planning processes in both jurisdictions. It is also the case that such planning processes allow potential objectors to the North-South project to register their objections and to have them considered by the planning authorities.