Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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226. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when the tender process will be complete for the contracting of international experts to investigate the costs of undergrounding the North-South interconnector versus the overheading of same; when the experts will be in place; when the investigation will be complete; and if he envisages a postponement or delay in the project as a result of the investigation. [22205/17]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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On 19 December 2016 An Bord Pleanála granted planning permission for the North-South Interconnector project in Ireland. The decision concluded a lengthy planning process which included an Oral Hearing completed over eleven weeks from March to May last year. The planning decision is currently the subject of Judicial Review proceedings. The planning process for the section of the project in Northern Ireland is on-going with an oral hearing concluding on 27 February 2017.

In light of the motions passed by Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann, I have had a proposal prepared for an updated independent study that will bring further clarity to the relative cost and technical merits of overhead and underground solutions for the North-South Interconnector. The terms of reference for this study were published on my Department's website on Monday of this week.

It is proposed to engage a team of international experts to carry out the study. Preferably, the experts will have a familiarity with the project and be recognised as independent. Therefore the primary focus will be on the members of the International Expert Commission (2011-2012) and Independent Expert Panel (2014).

I intend to appoint the team of experts in the coming weeks and I intend that this study be completed and published before the end of this year.

Construction of the project is not planned to commence before 2018 and therefore I envisage no delay to the project as a result of carrying out this study.