Minister updated on pylon project

A local councillor has warned that “all hell could break loose” if EirGrid and its agents attempt to access lands to advance construction of the contentious north-south electricity interconnector project.

Cllr Noel Keelan (SF) made the comment at a meeting of Monaghan County Council on Monday, June 8, when it was revealed that the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment, Darragh O’Brien, met with the Chief Executives of Monaghan, Cavan and Meath county councils for a progress report on the major energy project.

“We provided him with information that you have already received yourselves,” Monaghan CE Robert Burns told the Monaghan councillors at their June monthly meeting.

Mr Burns said the meeting with the Minister had taken place the previous week.

Cllr Noel Keelan (SF) asked Mr Burns for a verbal account of the meeting. He also requested that the written minutes of the meeting be circulated to the elected members. He thanked the Chief Executive and the Council’s senior planning staff for their “transparency” and keeping councillors updated on their engagements with EirGrid and ESB Networks in relation to the “controversial” interconnector.

Mr Burns said the agenda for the meeting was the progress of the north-south interconnector. Along with Director of Services Cathal Flynn, they gave the Minister an update on where the project was at as they understood it, and the representatives of the other two local authorities did the same in relation to their areas.

They outlined the assessment of compliance currently taking place in relation to the conditions attached to the planning permission.

Cllr Keelan said that, while things might seem very quiet at present in relation to the project, he is very concerned that “all hell could break loose” if EirGrid and its agents attempt to access lands to advance the construction. He fears they could be heading for “conflict and confrontation”.

The SF representative added that the Monaghan councillors had sought a meeting with Minister O’Brien on this issue but the request was unfortunately “refused”.

The proposed interconnector would link the electricity grids of Ireland and Northern Ireland through a vast 138km network of cables and towering pylons stretching from Meath through Cavan and Monaghan into Armagh and Tyrone.

Plans include 407 pylons and impact around 400 landowners. The project has cleared planning on both sides of the Border and EirGrid’s had given a revised completion date of late 2031.

Objectors, including members of the North East Pylon Pressure Committee (NEPPC), continue insist the lines should be undergrounded.