Regina Doherty, Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, has criticised Eirgrid for refusing to look at even partially putting the southern section of the north-south interconnector underground.

The interconnector will see 400kV overhead cables connecting the electricity grids of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Speaking on Friday on RTE Radio One’s Today with Sean O Rourke, Minister Doherty accepted the need for a second interconnector by saying: “I’ve never been opposed to the interconnector, we need a second interconnector, I’ve always been accepting of that.”

However, she also outlined her frustration by the manner in which Eirgrid treated her constituents, with their “unwillingness to put forward an overground and underground model to allow An Bord Pleanala to adjudicate on” and how Eirgrid said it’ll be “handing it over to the ESB to deliver the project because they don’t have the permission of the people of Meath Cavan and Monaghan to build on their land”.

Doherty also voiced her annoyance at Eirgrid’s exaggeration at the cost of putting the interconnector underground and said she’d be quite happy to look at a partially underground option.

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