North-South Interconnector Seanad Éireann — 2026-09-29 ============================================================ Neale Richmond (FG), Dublin Rathdown I thank the Senator for raising this important topic. Unfortunately, as she is aware, the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, is currently chairing a European Council meeting of his own format. However, I am extremely familiar with this, not just as the son of a Cavan woman, but also as someone who has a considerable number of family members still farming across both Cavan and Monaghan who have been very active in this campaign for the entirety of its duration, even appearing in national newspapers at times. As the Senator can imagine, this has always made for interesting family dinners. The North-South interconnector is one of the most important transmission projects we are currently undertaking as a State. Once complete, the project will provide a critical cross-Border connection point for our electricity system, further strengthening and integrating the electricity systems between the North and South. The project, once delivered, is estimated to deliver cost savings of €100 million per annum to households and businesses across the island. As a transmission project, the North-South interconnector is being undertaken by EirGrid, which designs and operates the system. EirGrid is independent of the Government and the Minister, Deputy O’Brien, in the exercise of its functions. However, it is regulated by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, which in turn is accountable to a committee of the Oireachtas. In accordance with the 2012 Government Policy Statement on the Strategic Importance of Transmission and Other Energy Infrastructure, "The Government does not seek to direct EirGrid and ESB Networks or other energy infrastructure developers to particular sites or routes or technologies". EirGrid, as the project developer, has determined that the project must be delivered as an overhead line, and the Government has accepted this expert opinion. The notion of "undergrounding" the project has been comprehensively assessed on several occasions dating back to 2008, with corresponding independent reports published finding that an overhead line is the appropriate means of delivery. Most recently, in March 2023, the Government noted and published another independent report into the project which concluded that it would not be feasible to run the North-South interconnector underground, confirming that the findings of the 2018 report remained valid. However, public support is key to enabling delivery of the project and that is why it plays such a central role in EirGrid’s plans. EirGrid, as project developer, has been and continues to engage with affected landowners and communities along the route. This is in line with what the Government expects of it and aligns with the 2012 Government policy statement. As Minister, Deputy O'Brien must operate within the regulatory and policy framework regarding the delivery of electricity infrastructure and as such, community engagement is a matter for EirGrid. This is a key point; it is the organisation’s responsibility. We often hear about how we need direct ministerial intervention, but sometimes Ministers have to have the ability to let a process go forward and get to conclusion in a proper way and as agreed. We cannot just tear up the rules every time we want to. We agreed the framework and we now have to let it take its course. That is why in March of this year, EirGrid wrote to affected landowners along the project route, updating them on the project and offering compensation to those who will host the infrastructure on their land. It is, of course, vital that landowners engage with EirGrid on this process, and the Minister has asked all those who have received such letters to seek that engagement. However, while community engagement is a matter for EirGrid, that does not take away from the concerns of the local community. Local representatives have raised the concerns of the community with the Minister through representations, parliamentary questions and other democratic processes such as this debate. That is why I am very grateful that the Senator has highlighted these concerns here today. I can confirm they have been heard by the Minister. However, these concerns cannot take away from the independently assessed position that an overhead line is the most appropriate means of delivery. Construction of the project as an overhead line has already commenced in Northern Ireland, with several of the required pylons already built. The Northern Ireland minister for enterprise, Caoimhe Archibald, and the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, have committed to delivering this project as an overhead line and it is the hope of the Irish Government that construction in the South will commence imminently. The issue of undergrounding the project has been debated, assessed and determined not to be possible. Now, we must continue to move ahead with delivering the project, the savings and the improvement to our energy infrastructure it allows for. --- Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted. 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