A FARMER allegedly demanded payment of between €200,000 and €600,000 to allow the ESB and EirGrid continue work on a €80 million project involving the installation of electricity pylons on his lands, the High Court was told yesterday.
Patrick Mullen had already received some €31,000 out of a previously agreed compensation figure of €41,000 to allow the pylons be installed on his land at Carrowmaclenay, Ballymote, Co Sligo, Michael Conlon, counsel for the electricity companies, told the court yesterday.
Ms Justice Mary Laffoy yesterday continued an injunction granted previously to the ESB preventing Mr Mullen, also described in court as a property developer and machinery operator, interfering with the work.
She gave permission to have notice served on his wife, Sharon Mullen, to be joined as a defendant in the case. Neither were present or represented in court yesterday.
EirGrid, as operator of the transmission system, was also joined yesterday as a plaintiff with the ESB, which is the system owner. The court heard the number of protesters against the pylons had grown to 35 people at one stage.
Protesters who want the line put underground have stopped work on the project since January 26th when Mr Mullen allegedly threatened to “scrap” valuable machinery which EirGrid had used to install two of three pylons on the land, the court heard. Each day of lost work was costing €4,250, which has to be borne by consumers, Mr Conlon said.
Applying for the injunction to be continued pending a full hearing, Mr Conlon said since the original court order was granted, Ms Mullen made a “completely misleading” statement to a newspaper that the family had turned down an offer of €40,000 compensation.