Campaigners ‘delighted’ by decision to scrap network

The decision to scrap the network of pylons from Cork to Kildare has been welcomed by campaigners in Clonmult, Dungourney, Midleton, Co Cork.

Among the campaigners was Liam O’Neill whose son, Connor (10), has autism and hypersensitivity to sound. It was anticipated that the noise levels from the powerlines could range from 45-50dB, a level that would cause great difficulties to a boy who clings to his parents if he hears an electric hand-dryer in a public bathroom.

Mr O’Neill previously said that if the project was routed by his home that the back garden would also be off limits for his son.

“We welcome this decision. The original plan would have cost a fortune and impacted negatively on many individuals, including my son. He’s incredibly sensitive to even minute noises and would have found the buzzing of a high voltage line to be incredibly distressing. But he wasn’t the only one impacted,” he said.

Proposal

“Tens of thousands of people objected to this proposal, yet it took years of campaigning to make EirGrid reconsider their options. While initial dialogue was difficult, we’ve seen a marked improvement in the last year and achieved open and meaningful dialogue in recent months. So we’re delighted that the revised proposal will meet the needs of EirGrid and eliminates negative community impacts.”

Meanwhile, Helena Fitzgerald of the Save our Heartland group in Carlow said she was relieved to hear that the project had been dropped.

“We are delighted that they have managed to find a solution which meets the needs of the community. We queried the need for the project from the outset,” she said.

Save our Heartland was established after hundreds of local men and women voiced their concerns about EirGrid’s plans at a public meeting in Ballinkillen Community Centre in October 2013.