EirGrid has said “it is quite happy” with how it engages with landowners and has no plans to review its communications in this regard.

This is despite concern among farmers whose lands are to be acquired for the North-South Interconnector under compulsory purchase order (CPO) if they have not signed up to a voluntary compensation package by the end of February.

At an EirGrid roadshow in Ennis last week, chief infrastructure officer for EirGrid Michael Mahon said the State-owned company reviewed how it engages with farmers and landowners a number of years ago and has no plans to make further changes.

“We engage directly with landowners. We increased the size of our agricultural liaison officer teams who go out and meet with landowners.

“We are currently doing that with a very important strategic project in the centre of Ireland that’s going to connect the Irish electricity grid with the northern electricity grid.

Co-operation

“There’s a lot of co-operation, there’s other people who aren’t convinced in terms of the project, but that’s being actively rolled out.

“We’re quite happy with the plan that is there at the moment,” he said.