North-South Interconnector landowner concerns

Senator Sarah O’Reilly (Ao) called on the Government to address concerns of farmers and landowners affected by the proposed North-South Interconnector, warning that communities have endured “consistent and persistent stress” for 15 years.

Speaking in the Seanad, Ms O’Reilly said the project affects communities across Meath, Cavan and Monaghan, as well as Armagh and Tyrone, with landowners still seeking clarity on access routes required for construction.

She said planning for the pylons was granted almost 10 years ago, but EirGrid had still not secured approval for the access routes required to reach the land.

“The worst part is that the people who are directly affected, the landowners, still have no clue where the planned access routes are,” she said, adding that some farmers had been forced to resort to freedom of information requests to establish what was planned for their own properties.

She criticised the lack of direct engagement with local representatives.

In her opinion, the issue was not opposition to strengthening the electricity grid, but how the project was being delivered. She also called for undergrounding to be reconsidered, similar to the Kildare-Meath grid upgrade.

Responding, Minister of State Neale Richmond said the interconnector was “one of the most important transmission projects” being undertaken by the State and could deliver estimated savings of €100 million annually to households and businesses across the island.

Minister Richmond said independent assessments, most recently published in 2023, had concluded that undergrounding was not feasible and that an overhead line was the appropriate option.

He said engagement with affected landowners was EirGrid’s responsibility and confirmed the Minister was aware of their concerns.

In response, O’Reilly said farmers should not have to submit information requests to discover access plans affecting their land. Minister Richmond said he would write to EirGrid to stress the importance of engagement, adding that compensation and answers to landowners’ questions were central to progressing the project.