EirGrid lock horns with FF on pylon claims

As a Fianna Fáil motion calling for an independent assessment of the undergrounding the North-South interconnector was passed in the Seanad last week, EirGrid has hit back dismissing claims by the party.
Fianna Fáil Senator Robbie Gallagher said the the Government must take action to analyse the real cost of undergrounding the North-South interconnector and that EirGrid “failed to consider the merits or the possibility of undergrounding the power lines shows a blatant discrimination against the people of the North East.”
However a spokesperson for the electric power transmission operator, David Martin, said that EirGrid included a detailed analysis of undergrounding in its planning application. He says that this was part of the 'Technical Alternatives' section.
Mr Martin said that the inspector from An Bord Pleanála concluded: “It has been demonstrated that an overhead line option presents less risk for system security, reliability and availability than a DC (underground) option.”
He said that the An Bord Pleanála inspector concluded: “On balance it would appear that the technology currently best suited to please the requirements of the proposed North-South Interconnector development is an overhead high-voltage alternating current power line”.
In his statement Senator Gallagher said that the Fianna Fáil motion “demonstrates the very real concerns that people have about this project. It is imperative that the Government take these concerns on board and respect the wishes of both the Dáil and the Seanad and ensure that an independent report is commissioned without delay”.