EirGrid's latest communication to landowners impacted by the planned North-South Interconnector has been described as threatening by the County Monaghan Anti Pylon group.
A meeting of affected landowners heard on Friday night, heard that some elderly landowners felt frightened by the most recent letter that was sent to affected landowners. The plan was set out in a letter received by some 400 affected landowners recently.
Nigel Hillis from the County Monaghan Anti Pylon group said that some of the farmers on the night said this latest correspondence from Eirgrid was like 'red rag to a bull'. The meeting was called after people with land along the planned route received letters from EirGrid stating they had up until the 1st of March to accept a voluntary compensation package.
After this landowners along the route of a new line of electricity pylons will begin to receive compulsory purchase notices if they do not sign voluntary agreements. Nigel Hillis says EirGrid's timelines will come and go, but the opposition of the landowners remains strong and resilient in face of what they see as increased intimidation.
Northern Sound confirmed that Eirgrid in November had written to these landowners in Meath, Cavan and Monaghan, with an voluntary compensation package. Mr Hillis says when it comes down to it, its not about compensation and its has to be underground or nothing.
The following statement was received by Eirgrid:
EirGrid, the developer and operator of the national electricity grid, is continuing to engage with almost 400 landowners across counties Meath, Cavan and Monaghan in relation to hosting infrastructure on the North-South Interconnector project.
After an initial letter in October, which set about informing landowners that EirGrid would be contacting them in the weeks that followed, a second letter was issued at the beginning of November, setting out specific details to each individual around the infrastructure which is proposed on their landholding, as well as the compensation payment which is being offered. As EirGrid’s team of agricultural liaison officers continue that process of engaging with these landowners on an individual basis, a further letter was issued last month reminding landowners of the timelines and terms of those packages.
In addition to EirGrid’s primary compensation offer, an extra early sign-up payment was made available to landowners who intend to sign and return their voluntary option agreement within 12 weeks, the corresponding date for which is 9th February, 2024. Provided that all associated legal queries are addressed satisfactorily, landowners would also be in a position to avail of a further goodwill payment, which activates upon commencement of construction on their landholding, and is fulfilled in accordance with their cooperation and facilitation of the project. Naturally, the terms of each compensation arrangement are unique, and vary depending on the circumstances of the person involved and the nature of their landholding.
Homeowners situated within 200 meters of the proposed electricity line will also be contacted regarding proximity payments. "All throughout this process, we have been keen to engage with each landowner on an individual basis, and directly answer any and all questions they may have”, said EirGrid’s Chief Infrastructure Officer Michael Mahon.
“The level of engagement thus far has been largely positive, and this latest letter is primarily a reminder of the framework and timeline which we have set out to landowners, as well as some supplementary details based on commonly asked questions during our engagement to date. The priority has always been that land access for the North-South Interconnector would centre around the procurement of a voluntary easement on behalf of ESB Networks.
“As we have detailed to landowners, the signing period for them to signal an intention to provide this voluntary agreement will elapse on 1st March, 2024. For those landowners who do not provide the voluntary easement, an application will be made by ESB Networks to the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) for a compulsory purchase order. This was outlined in the initial letter issued last October, and in subsequent correspondence.
“Once that order is granted, construction by ESB Networks can proceed, and any compensation due thereafter will be dealt with through a standardised arbitration process, similar to what is available for other state utility projects - such as infrastructure around water or roads - in these instances when agreement with landowners cannot be reached. The North-South Interconnector is a very strategic project for Ireland and is critical to ensuring we have an electricity grid which is fit for purpose”, continued Mr Mahon.
“It will connect the electricity grids in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland via a 400 kV overhead cable. This robust infrastructure is critical in terms of providing security of supply, and it will facilitate renewable, clean energy into the future. Likewise, the interconnector will provide a local benefit for the people of the north-east by increasing the capacity of the electricity network in the region, thus helping to attract inward investment and jobs.
“A community benefit fund of €12m will also be implemented, providing residents involved in local voluntary, community and sporting organisations with an opportunity to identify projects which can further enhance their locality. This increased capacity in the connection between our networks will facilitate more renewable electricity generation on to the grid, something which is essential in order to achieve Government Climate Action targets, and to increase our energy independence by reducing reliance on imported fossil fuels.”
