Householders in the path of North South Interconnector pylons offered up to €30,000

Households living within 200 metres of pylons along the route the proposed North South Interconnector are being offered compensation of between €5,000 and €30,000.

Eirgrid has written to 300 households, whose homes are within 200 metres of the proposed pylons, advising that compensation will be paid on a sliding scale, with households living within 50 metres of the centre of a pylon offered €30,000, while those living within 125 metres are being offered €17,000 and those within 200 metres can avail of €5,000 in compensation.

The householders were told that they would receive 40 per cent of the payment when work commences and the remaining 60 per cent when it is complete.

Meanwhile as the 1st March deadline passed for landowners to sign up for compensation for access to their land for the construction of pylons, Eirgrid did not give details of how many of the 373 landowners had signed up but said “a significant number of them are currently in broader dialogue with Eirgrid as part of our overall compensation process.”

However, the North East Pylon Pressure Campaign (NEPPC) said that there had been a very low uptake among landowners and there has been renewed resilience to fight on.

“NEPPC has been in contact with all of the farmers it represents and is happy to report that the vast majority have not entertained and will not consider the offer under any circumstances. There is even stronger support than ever to remain united and for NEPPC to represent their wishes as the project unfolds to the next stage,” said spokesperson, Padraig O'Reilly.

“Farmers are very angry with Eirgrid’s intimidatory tactics of divide and conquer, turning up on farmers’ doorsteps unannounced and highlighting the powers of CPO that could ensue.”

He to said that for the Interconnector to proceed, Eirgrid or ESB would have to make submissions to the Commission for regulation of Utilities (CRU), on an individual case by case basis, for which a public enquiry may be deemed to be necessary and for which the CRU may or may not finally approve.

“NEPPC wishes to put on record that it has been let down very badly by our government elected representatives in the North-East. In various recent interviews some of these elected representatives have stated that they have actually delivered on their promises and/or that it was up to us to convince Eirgrid that undergrounding would work.

“None of these disingenuous statements and claims will fool the local communities who are affected by the NSI.

“Eirgrid and this government assumed that the affected farmers would be bought off or intimidated into acceptance, or both.

“The NSI will never be built without the goodwill of the affected farmers and local communities. This goodwill will never be forthcoming, based on the arrogant approach still being taken by Eirgrid and ESB".

The proposed North South Interconnector would connect the electricity grids of Ireland and Northern Ireland with a 138 kilometre line through counties Meath, Cavan, Monaghan, Armagh and Tyrone and would see 400 pylons erected along the line.