FF calls on Government to reject appointment of new Eirgrid chair

Fianna Fáil is to table a motion calling on the Government to reject the proposal to appoint John O'Connor as chairman of Eirgrid.

Mr O'Connor, a former chair of An Bord Pleanála, yesterday hinted he would reconsider his decision to accept the post after he faced heavy criticism before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport and Communications.

Committee members criticised the appointment on the grounds that Eirgrid intends seeking permission from An Bord Pleanála for controversial construction projects in the north east, west and south east, creating a possible conflict of interest for Mr O’Connor.

Mr O'Connor has already accepted the Eirgrid chairmanship after he was appointed by Minister for Energy Pat Rabbitte recently.

Responding to members who asked if he would reconsider his position, Mr O’Connor told the meeting: “I will discuss it with the Minister and come to a conclusion after that.”

Mr O’Connor rejected several times that he would be conflicted in his new role or that his appointment tilts the planning process in Eirgrid’s favour.

“There will be no back door phone calls, there will not be anything underhand or anything like that,” he said.

Mr O’Connor also told the committee that he would “not like to live close to a pylon”.

Fianna Fáil spokesman on transport, Timmy Dooley, today called on the Government to reject the proposal to appoint Mr O’Connor.

He said the party had submitted a motion to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications to that effect.

“It was very clear from the submissions made yesterday by members from all sides of the Transport and Communications Committee that serious questions exist over the suitability of Mr O’Connor to fulfil the role as chairman of Eirgrid,” Mr Dooley said.

“The testimony given by Mr O’Connor failed the test and I am calling on members from all sides to support the Fianna Fáil motion.

“ If this Government is committed to real reform and not just window dressing, then Government members of the committee will treat the events yesterday extremely seriously.”

He said members should not be forced to follow the party whip on the issue.

“The construction of hundreds of overhead pylons across the country as part of Eigrid’s Grid 25 project is something that has caused a considerable amount of controversy. We have to be sure that the chairman of Eirgrid is in a position to address these concerns adequately and competently.”

The committee is today continuing its hearing into regional community concerns over Eirgrid’s project to upgrade the electricity transmission network.

Eirgrid plans to run high-voltage lines on pylons through all three areas in a €1 billion investment that forms part of its Grid25 project, which is designed, among other things, to boost the network’s capacity and ship electricity from wind farms in the west and south to consumers in the east.

Local groups oppose the plans, claiming they will damage property values and the environment and involve health risks.

They want the lines placed underground, but Eirgrid says three independent reports indicate that this could cost three times as much and create ongoing difficulties with maintenance.

Dr Gabor Mezel, an expert in electromagnetic fields and a witness for Eirgrid, told the committee today the scientific evidence “does not confirm the existence of any health consequences from exposure” to electro magnetic fields.

The company's chief executive Fintan Slye told the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport and Communications this morning that it had "no vested interest" in pursuing a particular technology solution to its plans.

He said the company was putting “massive investment” into upgrading the transmission infrastructure.

This was essential in order to ensure “balanced regional development to support industry and to support jobs around the country” he said.

Mr Slye said Eirgrid was engaged in more than 200 projects around the country, “from the very small to the very large”.

The North-South interconnector project linking Meath to Tyrone was in the final stages of planning and Eirgrid hoped to submit its planning application early in 2014.

Mr Slye said he understood there was concern about some of the projects, but he said Eirgrid had held more than 30 public information events around the country and continued to engage with all the local authorities and community groups.

Asked whether he would have an issue with living next to a pylon, he said he would not.

Mr Slye said he wanted to assure the committee the company’s consultation exercises were not merely about “ticking boxes”.

Each of the huge projects involved a massive process of consultation and engagement, he said. It also responded in full to any feedback it obtained through such consultation processes.