Review of pylon plan is ‘election stunt’

A Government decision to examine the feasibility of putting two controversial powerlines underground has been described as an “election stunt” to appease backbenchers under pressure in their constituencies.

Energy Minister Pat Rabbitte admitted the reviews may not be finished until year’s end. The local elections are due to be held in May. He also said the new investigation could push planning permission for one route beyond the next general election.

An independent panel chaired by former Supreme Court judge Catherine McGuinness will help assess the options of running the powerlines underground or overground. It will advise Eirgrid on the terms of reference for the studies but can also commission its own research if is not satisfied with the work presented.

Sinn Féin Midlands North West EU candidate Matt Carthy said he hoped the reviews were not just “an election stunt to save the skins of Labour and Fine Gael councillors and MEPs in May”.

Mr Rabbitte said the two studies would take account of environmental, technical and cost factors. Studies will also take account of the impacts of powerlines on tourism and equine health. And an updated expert report on the health impact of high-voltage lines will also be commissioned. Routes will also be decided before any comparative studies were done, he said.

The Labour minister denied the reviews were timed to coincide with the upcoming local and European elections and said that the huge volume of recent submissions to Eirgrid on the Gridlink route, from counties Cork to Kildare, had led to the Cabinet agreement on the reviews.

He said the mid-2016 planning submission for Grid Link might be pushed back by a year and a half.

Last night, Pylon Alternative Alliance chairman Robert Duggan said the move “was a step in the right direction” but that a cost/benefit analysis still needs to be undertaken.

Rethink Pylons said a cost benefit analysis of Grid25 and of the Government’s wind-focused energy policy was more beneficial.

Eirgrid last night confirmed landowners living near 400kV pylons would get a once-off payment of €30,000 for residences at 50m to €5,000 at 200m. Under new rules, communities will also get funds amounting to €40,000 per kilometre.

A current agreement with Eirgrid allows landowners receive €22,000 for a steel mast and €11,000 for double pole sets. But these apply for 110kV lines. The bigger 400kv pylons are expected to allow for larger compensation terms. Eirgrid CEO Fintan Slye confirmed to the Irish Examiner that compensation would be greater but was still not decided.

“We need to engage with the relevant farming organisations to come up with a proposal on that,” he said.

Mr Slye said the timeline for the two projects would be set back, but possibly only by months.

Mr Slye said the €500m Gridlink, from Cork to Kildare, will not submit planning permission until 2016 while the €240m Gridwest, from Mayo to Roscommon, will open public consultation by the autumn.

However, Mr Rabbitte said projects could be delayed until beyond 2016, after the general election.