Pylon oral hearing opens on Monday

The oral hearing into EirGrid’s proposal for the controversial North-South Interconnector opens at 11am on Monday morning in the Nuremore Hotel, Carrickmacross.
Over 1,500 submissions were received by An Bord Pleanala into plans for the interconnector which affects communities across Meath, Cavan and Monaghan.
Two inspectors have been assigned by an Bord Plenala to conduct the oral hearing, which is expected to last around 12 weeks.
The first part of the oral hearing will centre around topicswhich are general to the entire line and is due to last for five weeks.
The second part will deal with site specific and local issues which will be dealt with on an area basis, moving along the route of the proposed development in a north-south direction.
The oral hearing will open with an introduction by the planning inspector. Eirgrid will then give an outline of the proposed development which is expected to last around an hour before the planning authorities from Meath, Cavan and Monaghan County Council’s make their submissions.
The first topic that will be dealt with will be Legal and Statutory Processes. County Monaghan Anti-Pylon committee will be up first on this topic. This will be followed by NEPPC’s submission under this topic which is expected to last five hours and go ahead on Tuesday.