EIRGRID PROJECT YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF GOVERNMENT WASTE AND A LITANY OF BROKEN PROMISES - Cllr Emer Tóibín, Meath East
The refusal by Eirgrid to meet the residents of Meath and surrounding counties around its’ years long project is an exercise in belligerence, aided by successive government who have not forced it to account for its scandalous waste of taxpayers’ money.
That’s according to Aontú Cllr Emer Tóibín, a candidate in Meath East who says
“It is incredible that this 17-year long campaign, costing the taxpayer over €30 million to date, is at a standstill.”
“EirGrid refuses to meet the communities of Meath, Cavan, Monaghan, Armagh and Tyrone and foolishly thinks its non-engagement with landowners will yield a different outcome”.
“It certainly won’t as the community is exercised and galvanised as evidenced by last night’s meeting of the Northeast Pylon Pressure Campaign meeting in the Headford Hotel. It was so encouraging to see such a large crowd”.
“Padraig O'Reilly presented a clear update to all on the status of the EirGrid project and appealed to all politicians, especially government politicians to represent the concerns of the local communities on the undergrounding of electricity lines and to stick to their promises this time around”.
“The government of the day has presided over EirGrid's intransigence and has been continually unforthcoming in terms of PQ responses to TDs. NEPPC is blocked every which way by government departments from getting answers or information on what is happening in the background”.
“Government TDs in Meath declined to co-sign Peadar Tóibín's Aontú Bill to underground the North-South Interconnector. Yet they attend the public meetings and make the right noises. It is desperatley cynical and disingenuous”.
“It is high time for accountability to kick in - no more waste of taxpayers' money on this dead-duck project. These communities will continue to hold the line, and I’ll remain steadfastly with them - of that there is no doubt”.
