I welcome Ms Bernie Gray, chairperson of EirGrid, Mr. Dermot Byrne, chief executive, Mr. Andrew Cook and Mr. Fintan Slye. We are meeting to discuss the options for EirGrid in respect of the North-South interconnector. Before we begin, I draw everybody's attention to the fact that members of this committee have absolute privilege but this same privilege does not apply to witnesses appearing before the committee. The committee cannot guarantee any level of privilege to witnesses appearing before it. Further, under the salient rulings of the Chair, members should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the House or an official by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.
Before I invite Ms Gray to make her opening remarks, I will let members know of the speaking order. I will call on the main Opposition spokesperson, Deputy Coveney, first, followed by Deputy McManus. I will then take questions from the Government side. If a member offers to speak I will take that member's questions first. In the absence of a member so offering, I will take questions from the substitute members present.
During a response in the House last night to a matter raised on the Adjournment the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources said:
I will continue to facilitate and encourage active debate on all of the issues, to ensure a better understanding of the technical, economic and environmental aspects to transmission system development. To this end, I have written to the Chairman of the Oireachtas joint committee committing my Department to a further supportive role in this area. I believe that the Chairman will make these details available to the committee tomorrow.
I will now put on the record the letter I received last night from the Minister. The letter is dated 5 February 2008 and reads as follows:
Dear John,
I refer to last week's meeting of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, in which we had a lengthy and constructive discussion on Ireland's future electricity transmission system needs.
During the course of that debate, several committee members, and particularly those representing local communities in Meath, Cavan and Monaghan, raised the issue of EirGrid's current proposals in relation to the Cavan-Tyrone and Meath-Cavan transmission lines. I noted in particular the request by public representatives for an independent study on the implications of underground relative to overhead transmission lines.
In light of these requests, and of the considerable public concerns expressed directly to me on this issue, I have asked my Department to commission such a study, with a view to providing the best available professional advice on the relative merits of constructing and operating overhead transmission lines compared to underground cables. The study will have regard to technical characteristics, reliability, operation and maintenance factors, environmental impact, possible health issues and cost. The terms of reference for this study will be to provide professional advice covering:
- the factual position regarding current practice for constructing transmission lines worldwide, in terms of when such lines are constructed as underground cables, and why
- the relative technical performance of overhead lines and underground cables, in terms of losses, reliability/security of supply, impact on delivered power quality, electromagnetic field generation
- implications for national policies in energy, environment and enterprise (including employment) of implementing underground cables rather than overhead lines
- relative capital costs, annualised operation and maintenance costs and impact on unit electricity prices of both options:
- generally internationally
- in defined topographies and network configurations typical of those found in Ireland
- construction times for both options with consequential impacts on security of supply.
The consultants will be required to provide evidence-based international best practice for their analysis and if specific network situations are deemed to be very relevant to Ireland, these will be identified.
It is my intention that the study will be commissioned immediately, with a view to a final report being submitted to me in April.
The study will be in addition to the briefing on underground and overhead transmission lines which EirGrid is making available to the Committee tomorrow, and to the full brief which it will provide to An Bord Pleanála, in the context of its planning application.
I would be grateful if you could bring this to the attention of the Committee Members tomorrow, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Committee once again for its positive engagement on this important issue.
Yours sincerely,
Éamon Ryan, TD,
Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources.