An Bord Pleanála began hearing proposals on Monday into building a new north-south electricity interconnector.

Eirgrid has plans to build some 400 pylons along the route, which stretches from Meath to Tyrone.

The plans have been met with huge opposition, with local people setting up the group North East Pylon Pressure.

Health and safety issues

The project has been delayed for some time now and a previous hearing held in 2012 collapsed after several weeks of hearing testimony.

If the plans were to go ahead, it would involve the construction of 299 pylons over the 103km route between the border at Clontibret in Monaghan and a large-scale substation in Batterstown, Co Meath.

Speaking on RTE’s Morning Ireland programme on Monday morning, Padraig O’Reilly of North East Pylon Pressure said current proposals are “not actually necessary, because new technology has advanced and there is the alternative of using underground lines along public roads”.

O’Reilly raised the concerns of land owners and farmers who would be working closely with the pylons on a daily basis: “There is an issue of safety, and from a health perspective, it’s well documented that proximity of pylons to people’s residence increases the risk of some very dangerous diseases.”

He also dismissed the claim that only 900 submissions were made, alleging “there were over 2,500 submissions”. He suggested that people had joined together to lower the cost of submissions because “people are very frustrated that they have to submit a second time round after six years”.

Over 200 people attended the Bord Pleanála hearing today in Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan.

Response

In a statement, EirGrid said it “welcomes” the commencement of the consultation process.

“EirGrid welcomes the start of the oral hearing into the proposed north-south 400kV interconnection development, which opens today (Monday) in the Nuremore Hotel, Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan.

“An Bord Pleanála has convened the hearing, which is expected to last 12 weeks. It follows the submission in June of a planning application for the development from EirGrid, the State-owned electricity transmission system operator,” the statement said.

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