'€100,000 a day' cost of delays over cable link protest

PROTESTS OVER attempts by contractors to install ducting for an east-west interconnector could cause delays costing up to €100,000 a day, Eirgrid has said.

The cable is due to link Irish and British national grids from Barkby Beach in north Wales, under the Irish Sea to Rush beach, in north Co Dublin, and on to an electricity substation at Woodlands in Co Meath. The cable passes within two metres of a number of homes and businesses.

About 30 locals maintained a peaceful demonstration in Rush yesterday, after scuffles broke out between protesters and gardaí on Wednesday. Following the scuffles, Eirgrid got court injunctions against a number of individuals which were delivered to their homes on Wednesday night.

Eirgrid said it was installing ducting and does not intend to install the 500MW electric cable until late next year. But the national grid operator said if ducting does not go in now, costly delays on the €600-million project will have to be borne by electricity customers. It said it had fulfilled a promise not to proceed in the area until the results of an independent report ordered by Minister for Energy Eamon Ryan were known.

A spokeswoman said this report from international health expert Dr Eric van Rongen rejected fears that electromagnetic radiation from the cables posed health risks.

She said a further report requested by the Rush Community Council would examine possible dangers associated with accidental impact on the cables, such as being hit by a digging machine.

But a spokesman for the community council said it understood the references to electromagnetic radiation and the accidental damage report were part of the same health and safety report which was not yet finalised. He accused Eirgrid of breaking promises that the project would not start until the effects of accidental damage had been considered.

He said individuals who were injuncted had been deeply shocked while the move “horrified” the local community. He said Garda action on Wednesday had been “heavy handed”.