Co-ordinator appointed for interconnector project

Monaghan County Council is being urged to clarify the role and responsibilities of a dedicated co-ordinator for the north-south electricity interconnector project, appointed recently by Meath County Council.

Some elected members have expressed fears that this could be a means of fast-tracking the controversial project.

Declan Gaffney took up the appointment on August 10 and his remit will be, according to correspondence from the Meath local authority, circulated at Monday’s meeting of Monaghan County Council, to assist with “the consistent and timely management” of planning permission compliance submissions being made by EirGrid and ESB Networks to Council planners in Cavan and Monaghan and Meath in relation to the interconnector development.

The appointment is designed to achieve “consistency of approach, the avoidance of unnecessary duplications and the orderly discharge of each authority’s statutory functions”, according to Meath County Council Chief Executive Kieran Kehoe.

Mr Kehoe in his correspondence notes the recent announcement by Minister for Public Expenditure, Jack Chambers, that the interconnector is among the first tranche of nine projects assigned priority under the Critical Infrastructure Act 2026.

“This designation,” Mr Kehoe states, “requires public bodies to give appropriate priority to decision-making processes associated with designated projects and to take necessary steps, within their statutory remit, to reduce the time required for relevant authorisations and approvals.”

The Meath CE also notes that the co-ordinator role will be additional to the Local Infrastructure Liaison Officer roles to be established in each local authority, and expresses the hope that Minister for Energy Darragh O’Brien will support the resourcing of the role in the coming months.

Cllr Noel Keelan (SF) said there appears to be “a big push” by the Government to deliver major infrastructure projects including the interconnector.

Cllr Sinéad Flynn (SF) asked what powers the new co-ordinator will have and whether the appointment is designed to accelerate the interconnector’s delivery. “We all know the serious concerns that have been raised about the project across the three counties it will impact,” she stated.

Cllr Sean Gilliland (FG) also sought clarity on the purpose of the new appointment.

The Council’s Senior Planner Adrian Hughes said ESB Networks has made submissions to the three local authorities in relation to compliance with the interconnector’s planning conditions and they have a statutory obligation as planning authorities to assess and deal with these. The submissions are significant in size and complexity and cover a broad remit of planning, roads and environmental issues.

Mr Hughes said the new appointment is designed to achieve a co-ordinated, consistent approach across all three planning authorities. “It is not necessarily about expediting a process,” he added, “but ensuring consistency and a joined-up approach.”

Mr Hughes also told the meeting that the three Councils’ roads and environment sections are due to meet the co-ordinator this week to talk in general terms about the process of assessment.

“I can’t give a timescale for when the assessment process will end,” the Senior Planner stated, “but we will advise the members as we progress and ensure the minutes of meetings are circulated where possible.”

Cllr P J O’Hanlon (FF) said the Council’s planning section has always been totally transparent with the councillors in relation to the interconnector.

Cllr Keelan agreed on the Monaghan Council’s openness and transparency but claimed that “other Councils are not following that procedure”. He added that it irks him somewhat that Minister O’Brien has refused to meet the democratically elected Council members to discuss their interconnector concerns, but the Minister recently met with the local authority chief executives of Monaghan, Cavan and Meath. The councillors are “chosen by the people to be their voice”, he remarked.

“We are still an independent planning authority,” Mr Hughes pointed out, “and the co-ordinator has no authority or role in that respect.” He told Cllr Keelan that the co-ordinator appointment has no financial implications for the council.

Chief Executive Robert Burns said that, if he is invited by officials or Ministers to meetings, he tends to go to them. “I often look for meetings myself and don’t get them,” he stated, adding that the Council executive has been fully open and transparent with the members about the recent discussions between the Minister and the CEs.

“My role is to be accountable to your concerns and to try to address them,” Mr Burns told the members, “but I also have to address national policy as well. The executive is trying to navigate this narrow space.”

The Chief Executive added that a planning permission is in place with conditions that need to be addressed. Anyone with a valid planning permission in place has a right to have compliance issues dealt with.

Mr Burns said there will continue to be “full disclosure, objectivity and transparency” from the executive in relation to the interconnector project.