I welcome the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Alex White.  I ask him to outline the current status of the review of EirGrid's proposals for the Grid Link and Grid West projects being undertaken by an independent expert panel under the chairmanship of Mrs. Catherine McGuinness.  I submitted my request to raise this issue on the commencement of business last week.  Subsequently, on Friday, EirGrid made a major announcement and published a draft consultation document.  Many people in Tipperary, Waterford and other counties were able to sleep easier once they had digested the contents of the document.    I commend the Minister and his predecessor, Deputy Pat Rabbite, for the work they have done with EirGrid. The company's starting point two years ago was that there was only one show in town, namely, the use of overhead lines and pylons to run new cables across the Golden Vale, through counties Waterford, Wexford and Kildare and across the west.  The State company has now indicated that it can generate sufficient energy and power through the existing network by using new technologies.  Some 35,000 people made submissions on the proposed Grid25 route from County Cork to County Kildare, a large number of whom live in my community.    Having conducted some research on this matter, I have learned that EirGrid will make its submission to the independent expert panel for its consideration.  I ask the Minister to outline what the timescale for the panel's deliberations will be and when it will produce an interim report or make an announcement.  It was established following considerable public discourse and activity, including protests and, as the Minister will recall, a high profile meeting of the Labour Party on the issue in Killarney attended by approximately 100 Deputies, Senators and councillors.  I was pleased that this meeting moved the Minister's predecessor to establish the independent expert panel in January 2014.  After 15 months of deliberations, the expert group has not, to the best of my knowledge, presented a report. While the number of representations made to me declined this week as people read reports on EirGrid's plans, I was asked many times last week about the independent expert panel's report.    In the hierarchy of things, the Minister will have received a report from EirGrid setting out how it wishes to proceed. The independent review panel obviously has a different status from the company and most people are awaiting its report on the issue.  I raise this issue in an effort to glean some information from the Minister.   With others, I made representations on behalf of the affected communities, to which the Minister and his predecessor responded.  This is what democracy is about and last week's announcement was a good one for people involved in this issue nationwide.

I thank the Senator for his remarks.  I understand he framed his question prior to last Friday.  He will understand, therefore, that in my initial remarks I will respond to his question, as framed, and that we may have an opportunity for a further exchange thereafter.    The independent expert panel was established in January 2014 to oversee preparation by EirGrid of comprehensive, route specific studies and reports on fully underground and overhead options for the Grid West and Grid Link projects.  The studies and reports are to include assessments of potential environmental impacts, technical efficacy and cost factors.  I am advised that EirGrid submitted a report on the Grid West project to the panel in early February 2015.  The report identifies two overhead line options and one underground cable option.  These options were also referred to in EirGrid's recently published strategy.  That report was considered by the panel at its most recent meeting on 24 February.  I understand the panel sought further information on certain parts of the report and will engage with EirGrid in the coming weeks in that regard.  I am advised that the panel expects to be in a position to provide me with an opinion on the Grid West project in April.  With regard to the Grid Link project, the panel expects to be in a position to provide me with an opinion on the project in the third quarter of the year.  The opinions provided for me by the panel will address the completeness, objectivity and comparability of the studies and reports.  The panel will also oversee publication of the reports by EirGrid prior to the company proceeding to public consultation on the two projects.  I draw attention, as the Senator did, to EirGrid's new draft strategy entitled, Your Grid, Your Views, Your Tomorrow, which was published on Friday, 27 March.  The draft is shaped by three key pillars, namely, open engagement with communities; making the most of new technologies; and a commitment to make the existing grid work harder before building new transmission infrastructure.  The draft strategy which reviews the Grid Link, Grid West and North-South transmission line projects highlights how Ireland's energy transmission needs can be met in light of updated projections of future electricity demand.  It points to technological developments which, if adopted, could reduce the overall need for additional transmission grid infrastructure.  The paper confirms the need to reinforce the transmission system in the south east but suggests an alternative to the original Grid Link proposal which would involve upgrading existing transmission lines rather than building new ones. It also puts forward a new option for Grid West which would significantly reduce the amount of new overhead cable required.  It reaffirms the need for the North-South project.

I thank the Minister for his succinct report on the current position. I assume the independent expert panel is required to submit its reports to the Minister before the proposed projects can proceed or another round of consultations can take place. I ask the Minister to clarify the position in that regard.

EirGrid has indicated it will engage in public consultations on its draft strategy entitled, Your Grid, Your Views, Your Tomorrow. I respectfully request that the Minister speak in forceful terms to the company about how it intends to engage with local communities. I will cite a brief example of EirGrid's previous engagement.

In my town, Carrick-on-Suir, an eminent professional went to seek information pertinent to where he lived. He put a series of questions to the EirGrid representatives and, unhappy with the answers he had received, returned in the evening, met a different official and received a different series of answers from those he had received in the morning from the same company. That is completely unacceptable.

Does the Senator have a question for the Minister?

They say they have these offices, but they are not being opened at the proper times. It is not insignificant that negotiations with Great Britain on the memorandum of understanding to export wind energy supplies are dead in the water and not going to go ahead. The rush to provide infrastructure to avail of wind farms across the country is history because there will be no sale across the water. Therefore, I welcome the introduction of the technology, but the number of power lines needed has abated drastically. I would like to see a recognition of this. On the wind set-back guidelines-----

Can this lead to a question for the Minister?

He will welcome these questions because he is up to speed on the matter.

I understand that, but the rule of the House is that the Senator should ask a supplementary question.

We need responses.

The first point concerns how the new EirGrid draft strategy will fit with the work of the expert panel. The review identifies three potential options for Grid Link and four possible solutions for Grid West. It is a draft document for public consultation and, as I said, there are three potential options for Grid Link, one of which the Senator regards as preferable. The consultation process can facilitate that response. EirGrid will continue its evaluation of the options with a view to making a submission to the independent expert panel. It will be required to and will balance the wider economic, environmental and technical considerations and, most importantly, the views of industry, policy makers and the people to find the best outcomes. On foot of its consideration of EirGrid's submission, the independent expert panel will submit a report to me which, to reassure the Senator, will be followed by a further round of public consultations. There is evidence that EirGrid has much improved its engagement with communities and the public and in a recent report it recognised some shortcomings in that aspect of its work in recent years. It has taken significant and commendable steps to address the issue. I would be upset if individuals who engaged with it were not satisfied with the responses received or received inconsistent responses. I would like that issue to be addressed and I am sure it will be.

In terms of the exports initiative, I would not describe it as dead in the water or complete history, the term used by the Senator. The project will not go ahead and I do not believe there is any prospect of a similar project going ahead in the near to mid-term but, looking to 2020 and beyond, there are possibilities and potential for the future. Even if there is no potential for exports, we still need to continue to make progress and up our game in the renewables sector. Onshore wind energy projects will be one aspect but not the only one. The necessity to increase the use of renewables and reduce our dependence on imported fossil fuels will continue, but we should do so in a prudent way and only build infrastructure when it is necessary do so. I agree with the Senator on that point and EirGrid has made an assessment of what is necessary. Let us not build infrastructure unless it is absolutely required and let us have regard to the needs, wishes and views of communities. Both imperatives are reflected in its recent report, for which it is to be commended. This was reflected in my discussions with it in recent months.