EirGrid’s announcement that it is to extend its deadline for submissions on its controversial GridLink project until 5pm on the 7th January has been widely welcomed.

Cllr Kevin O’Keeffe said there’d been a lack of consultation at the start with very many people unaware of what was happening until lately, leaving them scrambling to get submissions in at very short notice. “They now get a chance to make proper submissions,” he pointed out.

EirGrid has promised in recent days to look at undergrounding the power line. Energy Minister Pat Rabbitte has come under increasing pressure from anti-pylon campaigners. Cllr O’Keeffe said EirGrid’s undertaking to look at the undergrounding option was good news. “I hope it will lead to informed and professional submissions being made supporting the ducting option,” he said.

Speaking at an event in Doneraile Park this week, Minister Sean Sherlock told The Avondhu he was glad that EirGrid extended the deadline. He said the Labour Party had met with Pat Rabbitte about this matter last week. Stating that public confidence in EirGrid was ‘quite low’, he stressed that the conclusion from that meeting was that the consultation process with EirGrid needed to be significantly enhanced.

“The extension until January 7 will at least give members of the public more time to have their say about the proposed pylons which is to be welcomed.”

Independent Deputy Mattie McGrath described it as ‘the first spark of common-sense from Eirgrid’ and that it was ‘a significant victory’ and said it is imperative that this momentum is maintained and that the expanded timeframe is used to maximum effect.

“One of the chief ways in which this can be achieved is for the high level of public participation at public meetings to continue. These meetings which have been held in small villages and towns across the country have so far generated enough pressure to change the mind of a semi-state company with enormous resources at its disposal in terms of public relations; that in itself is a huge moral victory for the ordinary man and woman.”

Deputy McGrath wished to acknowledge the turnout at the public meeting in Ballyporeen on Sunday and urged people to ‘stiffen their resolve’. “We must demand more from Eirgrid than a simple extension of time which, however great a victory, will be not sufficient if the public mood of opposition wanes.”

Members of the public are encouraged to make submissions to the project team in the following ways: Visit the Grid Link Project information centres (Midleton, Carrick-On-Suir, Carlow, New Ross, Kilcullen), view the route corridor maps and provide feedback to the project team.

Send written submissions by post to: The Grid Link Project Manager, EirGrid, PO Box 12213, Glenageary, Co. Dublin or email gridlink@eirgrid.com.