Eirgrid’s summer start plan for Interconnector is ‘madness’ - NEPPC

Claims by Eirgrid that work could start on the North South Interconnector by June this year have been dismissed as “madness” by the North East Pylon Pressure Campaign (NEPPC), who point out that 80 per cent of landowners along the route have refused Eirgrid access to their land.

Padraig O'Reilly of NEPPC was responding to claims by Eigrid's chief infrastructure officer, Siobhán O'Shea who told the Oireachtas Committee on Infrastructure that the project could “move into construction approximately in June.”

Mr O'Reilly said: “We have had zero change from the landowners we represent. They have not signed up with Eirgrid/ESB and have not accepted the money offered to allow access to land.”

He said NEPPC represent more than 80 per cent of landowners.

At the Oireachtas Committee, Deputy Peadar Tóibín pointed out that the North-South interconnector, which is one of Eirgrid's biggest projects was started in 2007.

“The planning application was withdrawn in 2009 because it was not up to standard. It took six years for it to be resubmitted by Eirgrid. The second planning application, in 2015, had major difficulties in it. How many landowners have signed up to the North-South interconnector currently and why is the ESB liaising with the county councils rather than Eirgrid in relation to landowners' access?” he asked.

Ms O'Shea said Eirgrid's role was to bring projects through the engagement and consenting phase.

“Then we agree project agreement with the ESB and then it brings the projects through delivery phase from a construction perspective. That is why the ESB, in its capacity as the transmission asset owner, is working with the three county councils to discharge the planning conditions at the moment.”

Deputy Peadar Tóibín repeated his question on how many landowners had signed up at this stage?

“People want it underground. There is no consent for this project to be overground. If it was underground, it would have been built long ago. It seems that, even now, we do not know how many landowners have consented for Eirgrid or the ESB to go onto the land to build these pylons,” he said.

Ms O'Shea said that with regards the undergrounding, over the years there had been three independent reports and assessments done on it by different Governments, including a fourth review of the independent reports.

“They have all come to the same conclusion, which is to support Eirgrid's position with regards to the need for a project of this scale to be an overhead line, so that is what we are going to progress.

“We are through the planning and the consenting. Hopefully, the discharge planning will conclude, all going well, in the next few months and then the project is to move into construction approximately in June.”

When Deputy Tóibín questioned the date, she replied:

“In June 2026, the project moves into construction.

“There has been a long road, I guess, with regards to stakeholder engagement and our approach to it has continued to evolve. We will continue. When we are in the position where the planning has been discharged, we will work.

“We will do extensive stakeholder and landowner engagement to move forward with the project at that stage,” she said.