North-South Interconnector
Seanad Éireann — 2026-09-29
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Sarah O'Reilly (AON), Agricultural Panel

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, here this morning and I thank him for coming. However, I am disappointed that the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, is not here. I thank the Minister of State for taking this important debate. I want to raise the North-South interconnector again because, for farmers and landowners, this has been ongoing for so long. This project affects communities across Meath, Cavan and Monaghan, and, in the North, Armagh and Tyrone. There are people who have had this hanging over their heads for the past 15 years and it has been a consistent and persistent stress to the people who are involved along the route.
Planning permission for pylons was granted almost ten years ago, but here is the problem: EirGrid never sought approval for the access routes it would need to get onto the land. Now, ten years later, they are trying to sort those access routes out. One of the conditions of the planning permission was that the local authorities would approve the access arrangements. The Government is now putting huge pressure on these local authorities to get the conditions dealt with.
The worst part is that the people who are directly affected, the landowners, still have no clue where the planned access routes are. ESB and EirGrid have now submitted their finalised routes to the local authorities but many farmers who could be directly affected have not been given that information. They have had to use freedom of information requests to try to find out what is being planned on their own land. That is an absolute scandal and it should not be.
I have to ask the Minister - he is not here but maybe the Minister of State can answer - why has he not met with the North-East Pylon Pressure campaign group. These people have been raising concerns for the people affected for the past 15 years. They represent these landowners and they deserve to sit across the table from the Minister to get their questions answered and their concerns heard. The Minister met with the chief executives of Cavan County Council and the Monaghan and Meath local authorities, but refused a meeting with the councillors of Monaghan County Council who represent the people who are affected. Is the plan of action to pretend these people do not matter or the issue that they need to be listened to does not exist? Their rights are completely steamrolled.
For years, we were told that undergrounding was simply too expensive but if the Government tries to push this through without discussion, it will end up spending years in legal disputes with landowners. That means more delay and more cost. We have already seen legal challenges from landowners in the Supreme Court ruling on compensation in the case with a family in Cavan.
The focus seems to be on whatever is the cheapest way to build the line, but real focus should now be put on whether this infrastructure can be built without creating another decade of conflict, delays and court proceedings. I believe the Minister has not properly considered the undergrounding, and before we hear it is too costly or impractical, I point him towards the Kildare-Meath grid upgrade. EirGrid is proceeding with a 400 KW underground connection there. It is clear undergrounding is an option, but the Government expects farmers in Cavan and Monaghan to just put up and shut up.
I understand the Government's argument that the grid needs to be strengthened, which is reasonable and we all agree with that, including the landowners. However, I also know the people affected have been very badly treated and deserve a hearing, as well as to be across the table from the Minister and the organisation that represents its point of view.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-09-29/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-10-05T01:00:59+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-09-29