Pylons – Waterford route picked in 2011.

Eirgrid KRA8 Corridor

Midi De Paor Walsh, an independent local Election candidate in West Waterford has challenged EirGrid to produce all 2010 and 2011 documentation in relation to Gridlink.
A 2011 internal EirGrid/Grid Development and Commercial Division document affirms a “400 kV overhead line of approximately 108 km in length from the Knockraha substation to the Great Island substation”. The shortest route is approximately 106 km according to EirGrid’s September 2013 Stage 1 report. This is route KRA8 that runs from the Knockraha substation onto Clonmult, Knockanore, Aglish, Dungarvan, Lemybrien, Kilmacthomas, Carrigeen, & Kilmacow finishing at the Great Island substation. The map of the route is shown here.
The Ring, Co. Waterford native commented, “It is evident why Eirgrid did not advertise in County Waterfords main Newspapers, the Dungarvan Observer & Leader, in consultations 1 & 2 in May 2012 & September 2012 respectively; they wanted to keep us in the dark. The entire 2012 to 2014 consultation process is bogus, it’s shambolic, the preferred route was privately selected in 2011. EirGrid embarked on a contrived consultation process in 2012 knowing full well that it would set communities against communities, cause division, anxiety and hurt to a large section of the population. The 35,000 submissions received show how badly EirGrid miscalculated, how badly they got this wrong.”
Midi added, “The biggest concern is that the 400kV option chosen in 2011 was not the cheapest option available, another option that saved €165M in capital costs alone is available. By 2011 An Bord Snip Nua had already informed us that the country was in dire straits and indicated not building Grid25 due to significant public funds benefiting private wind farm profit. Not picking the cheapest option available back then could be described as economic lunacy; today, the entire project is highly questionable in light of the proposal that achieves Irelands 2020 Co2 savings in one go – converting Moneypoint to biomass at 1/10th of the cost. Is this a case of economic mismanagement by both this Government and EirGrid, the sums involved make the Irish Waters costs look like a pre-school issue in comparison. ”
She further added, “Does this 2011 EirGrid shortest route renders the independent panel set up by Minister Rabbitte in early 2014 impotent? Is the Independent panel being used to rubber stamp decisions after the fact? These honourable peoples’ good names are being used to sanction prior decisions for the sake of May 2014 political expediency.
We have to remember that EirGrid made a presentation to Waterford County Council, including the current sitting Councillors, on the 11th of June 2012, that’s JUNE 2012. The Council and the Councillors were aware of this GridLink project in June 2012, 2 years ago.
What did they do about letting the people of Co. Waterford know about this in 2012 and 2013?
In fairness they may have not understood the unhealthy reality of the High Voltage Lines, the links with childhood leukaemia etc, of what was being proposed. I am not suggesting that any of the sitting councillors would sabotage their own County by deliberately not informing the people of Co. Waterford, I doubt this very much, however the question needs to be asked: Why they did nothing?”
Midi concluded, “We must all unite, stand together, and fight tooth and nail against this grossly unfair and unlawful decision. It is morally repellent and legally unlawful under the terms of the Aarhus convention – public participation when all options are available. I certainly will fight this.”