Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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144. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his Department has carried out a study on the environmental benefits of undergrounding the north-south interconnector as opposed to over grounding same. [34743/20]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The North South Interconnector is critical to improving the efficient operation of the Single Electricity Market and to increasing security of electricity supply across the island of Ireland, which will in turn deliver significant benefits to electricity consumers through lower prices. I believe that this important new cross-Border infrastructure can significantly facilitate the integration of more renewable energy into the all-island power systems while also addressing our mutual climate objectives in Ireland and in Northern Ireland. The option of undergrounding the line has been assessed on several occasions over the years across a range of criteria. Most recently, my Department published an independent study in October 2018 on undergrounding the interconnector, which found that an overhead line remained the most appropriate option for the proposed interconnector. The project has gone through the full planning process in Ireland and Northern Ireland and as part of that process, the environmental impact of various alternative options was considered.

As I have indicated previously, I do not intend ordering a further review of the project.