I second the call made by Senator Pat O'Neill for a debate on the Grid Link project that affects the south east, west, midlands and north east with the North-South interconnector. We need a constructive debate. The Adjournment debate on the matter, which was taken by the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, was anything but productive. He was very party-political and defensive and did not deal with the issues at all. I have attended public meetings along the length of the route from Waterford to other locations. I attended a meeting last night in Stoneyford in County Kilkenny attended by around 600 people. Meetings are taking place in Meath and other counties tonight. There is cross-party support in opposition to these monstrosities - pylons 43 m high with 15 sq. m. bases running along 1 km wide routes where no development can take place and where development is sterilised along the entire route.

The Leader knows that in the south east where there is high unemployment, tourism and agriculture, including food production, are two areas that are seen as critical for the economic development of the region. EirGrid plans to put these pylons through the heart of County Waterford, into County Kilkenny and potentially up into counties Kildare, Wicklow or Laois depending on the preferred route. There is very clear opposition to that and growing support for the underground option. EirGrid seems to be setting its face against any alternative and opting for the cheapest option rather than the best and most environmentally sustainable option, which is underground. New technologies are emerging all the time in this area. The reason I am looking for a debate is because we can have a constructive debate with the Minister about those alternative options because that is what we are elected to do.

The meetings we are attending involve people in communities who have real concerns. It is our job to bring these concerns directly to the Minister and I ask the Leader to arrange that debate at the earliest opportunity.

I concur with Senators Pat O'Neill and David Cullinane and my colleague from Roscommon, Senator John Kelly, who has been raising this issue until he is blue in the face. A grand deception has been visited on the people and EirGrid has sucked Government policy with it on the basis of its assertion that we need to double the capacity of the grid. It wants to erect a further 800 km of high voltage power cables throughout the country. I have just come from a hearing by An Bord Pleanála in County Laois, where the company is trying to erect 17 new lines in the scenic area of Ratheniska, with which people will be familiar from the ploughing championships. It says the lines are intended to support energy supplies to Kilkenny and Carlow, despite the fact that another 400 kV line is being laid from Cork to Kilkenny. The purpose of the lines and the substation is to facilitate wind farm developers. We need an urgent debate on and review of the policy because the emperor has no clothes. EirGrid is the emperor and it has gone rogue. It must be brought to heel and held to account.