Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

24. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if a review of the north-south interconnector is planned, considering changes made to the GridWest and GridLink projects. [16293/15]

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

In January 2014, an Independent Expert Panel (IEP) was established to oversee the integrity of the process being undertaken by EirGrid to report on comprehensive, route-specific studies of overhead and underground options for both the Grid Link (GL) and Grid West (GW) projects. While the North South Transmission Line project (N/S) is outside the IEP's Terms of Reference, the IEP did agree, on foot of a request by my predecessor, to provide an opinion on the compatibility of the methodologies, to be employed on the GL and GW projects with what had already been done on the N/S project up to and including 2 May 2014, being the date that the IEP decided to examine the N/S project.

Having considered and discussed all of the material, the Panel issued a statement on 1 July 2014, indicating its unanimous opinion that, in all material respects, what had already been done on the N/S project is compatible with the methodologies being employed on the GW and GL projects.

On 27 March 2015 EirGrid published a new independently peer reviewed draft Strategy which allows for the achievement of an optimal balance between the competing demands of publicly consulting on necessary network development, choosing the best emerging technology options for that development, and minimising new build. The draft strategy found that there remains a clear need for the North South transmission line, and that the existing proposal for a 400kV overhead line remains the most appropriate solution for the project.

A further consultative process will be open to interested parties following submission to An Bord Pleanála of the final application in the coming weeks. Section 182A of the Planning and Development Act, 2000 (as amended) provides for the making of submissions in relation to an application for consent with respect to a development comprising electricity transmission infrastructure. A timeframe of not less than six week of public consultation is provided for under the section.