Media Release from North East Pylon Pressure Campaign (NEPPC)

1stMay 2014

Government party elected representatives have abandoned their constituents on the pylons issue in the North-East

NEPPC Power Rally success sends strong message to Government councillors, MEP’s and TD’s – the public will not accept pylons

NEPPC wishes to record its deep dissatisfaction with the Government elected representatives in the North-East. It is clear that the case for the North-South interconnector has not been adequately represented and that our Government elected representatives have reneged on their pre-election commitments by towing the EirGrid line rather than addressing the genuine concerns of their constituents.

NEPPC will be making it very clear to its campaign supporters across the North-East the factual situation in relation to the complete lack of support from Government elected representatives for the undergrounding of the North-South interconnector, despite public claims to the contrary.

The facts speak for themselves:

  1. NEPPC from the outset has called for a practical underground route to be identified and professionally evaluated, taking into account all realistic project and impact costs. Seven years on and this has still not happened. When in opposition, FG called for this to happen. In a recent meeting between Meath County Council and Government representatives, however, Deputy English stated that there was no need for an additional report or analysis of the North-South interconnector, because a report had already been done. This statement clearly highlights that FG has abandoned the communities across the North-East and has opted to row in behind Minister Rabbitte and Eirgrid.
  1. On 3rd and 4th December in DáilEireannthere was a private members motion put forward by FiannaFáil and supported by Sinn Féin and all independent candidates that an international independent assessment of overground versus underground be carried out that would include all relevant project costs. All Government TD’s in the North-East voted against this motion and instead voted in favour of this assessment being carried out by EirGrid.
  1. The Independent Expert Panel (IEP), chaired by former Justice Catherine McGuinness established by Minister Rabbitte in January did not include the North-South interconnector as part of its remit. Local Fine Gael TD’s committed to striving for inclusion of the interconnector and for getting clarification on the situation. In the last 3 months, despite a number of requests from NEPPC there has been not even been the courtesy of a response from any of the TD’s other than a note forwarded by Deputy Regina Doherty TD from Minister Rabbitte, comprising two paragraphs from already existing press releases on the matter. NEPPC has since written directly to theIEP and await a decision sometime this month.
  1. NEPPC recently called on Minister Rabbitte to withdraw an incorrect and damaging statement regarding the feasibility of undergrounding the North-South interconnector(see attached). NEPPC has written directly to the Minister, but has received no response. NEPPC has written repeatedly to our local Government TD’s on this issue, but not a single response has been received.
  1. Over the past 2 years NEPPC has written directly to MinisterRabbitte requesting a meeting. We have also requested this through our local FG representatives. We have never been afforded the courtesy of even a response, despite having spent hundreds of thousands of Euros on studies that make a valuable contribution to the much needed discussion on the upgrading of the grid infrastructure.

NEPPCwill be making it very clear to its campaign supporters across the North-East the factual situation in relation to the complete lack of support from Government elected representatives for the undergrounding of the North-South interconnector, despite public claims to the contrary.

NEPPC welcomes the contributions made by Councillors Tommy Reilly and Noel Leonard in the recent meeting between Meath County Councillors and members of the Oireachtas.

NEPPC, in preparation for a protracted and arduous oral hearing process, organised a major horsepower and people power fundraising event centred at the historic location of Bective Abbey on Sunday May 4th. An estimated 600 tractors, young and old, and other roadworthy farm machinery descended on Bective Abbey, driven by farmers from all over the North-East. This was followed by a family fun day out for all families supporting the campaign over the last seven years. The huge numbers that attended is testimony to the opposition to EirGid’s misguided and unnecessary plans to taint the countryside with massive pylons.

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Further Information:

North East Pylon Pressure Campaign Limited

087- 680 36

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