Eirgrid warning of Compulsory Purchase to landowners

The government has been urged to intervene as Eirgrid has warned landowners along the route of the North South Inteconnector that they may issued with Compulsory Purchase orders.

As Eirgrid bids to move forward with its plans to erect 400 pylons across Meath Cavan and Monaghan, the company has issued a letter to landowners threatening that if they don’t allow Eirgrid on their land to erect these pylons that they will issue Compulsory Easement orders.

Deputy Peadar Toibin has urged the government to instruct Eirgrid to withdraw their threats.

“This threatened action by Eirgrid could see a large number of farmers ending up in court or forced into a position of civil disobedience. We have an incredible situation where certain Government ministers promised people in Meath Cavan and Monaghan that they would stop the overhead building of this North South Interconnector, but are now part of a cabinet that presides over these threats by Eirgrid against these same people”.

Deputy Toibin said 99 per cent of the land owners along the route of the proposed North South Interconnector are decent law abiding citizens who have sought to find solutions to the electricity needs. "They have stated that they will not let Eirgrid on their land. They have openly supported the undergrounding of this Interconnector. They have proven technical viability of the underground solution and they have also shown financial viability. Yet their consent is being ignored.

“There are also significant legal questions here. Eirgrid is the applicant in the planning process and yet they seek to hand over to the ESB the process of Compulsory Easement. I am calling for the Minister for Energy to clarify this concern”, he said.

Landowners received letters from Eirgrid late last year, setting out specific details to each individual around the infrastructure which is proposed on their landholding, as well as the compensation payment which was being offered.

A further letter was issued last week reminding landowners of the timelines and terms of those packages.

EirGrid’s Chief Infrastructure Officer Michael Mahon said; “The level of engagement thus far has been largely positive, and this latest letter is primarily a reminder of the framework and timeline which we have set out to landowners, as well as some supplementary details based on commonly asked questions during our engagement to date.

“The priority has always been that land access for the North-South Interconnector would centre around the procurement of a voluntary easement on behalf of ESB Networks. For those landowners that do not provide a voluntary easement, an application will be made by ESB Networks to the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) for a compulsory purchase order.

“Once that order is granted, construction by ESB Networks can proceed, and any compensation due thereafter will be dealt with through a standardised arbitration process, similar to what is available for other state utility projects - such as infrastructure around water or roads - in these instances when agreement with landowners cannot be reached."