Vol. 498 No. 3
34 Mr. Coveney asked the Minister for Public Enterprise the Government's position on the proposed ESB pylons across the lower harbour in Cork harbour; and the Government's views on the underwater cable option as a viable alternative for the ESB. [26975/98]
As I have explained previously in this House, decisions in relation to the siting of transmission lines and infrastructural development are matters for the board and management of ESB and are not ones in which the Government nor I have a direct function.
In order to be helpful, however, I wish to offer a number of observations. Record economic growth is fuelling an unprecedented demand for electricity all over the country. In accordance with its statutory mandate, ESB must take account of the implications of this growth for its generation, transmission and distribution capacity.
The purpose of the Aghada/Raffeen project is to provide essential reinforcement to the ESB national grid in the Cork area to meet the ever increasing demand for electricity in the region, particularly from industry and services. Demand is growing at approximately 6 per cent per annum. It has been clear for some time that if the necessary system reinforcement does not proceed, ESB will not be able to meet the emerging demands from industrial, commercial and domestic customers.
ESB examined many alternatives such as the underwater cable option, local generation, reinforcement at 110k V, and the use of 110k V capacitors, before coming to the conclusion that the project as submitted was the most appropriate on the basis of technical merit, environmental impact, reliability, security and cost. In the light of the concerns and level of objection from local people ESB have engaged in a major information/consultation process with many interested parties.
ESB agreed to a proposal by Cork County Council that the centre for dispute resolution should be invited to broker a solution between ESB and the local interests opposed to the overland option. Vattenfall Transmission of Sweden — acknowledged experts in all aspects of power generation and transmission — were duly commissioned to review the data supplied by the ESB and by the consultants engaged directly by the Cork Anti-Pylon Representative Association, CARA.
