Sinn Féin Senator Kathryn Reilly welcomed the admission and is calling for action to be taken.
Senator Reilly said: "The people affected in Cavan, Monaghan and Meath have made it explicitly clear that they do not want high voltage power lines supported by over-head pylons running through their communities, beside their houses, and across their land. They are adamant about this and Sinn Féin has listened to the affected communities and we fully support the undergrounding of these cables.
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"There are genuine worries for health, the environment, the landscape, the economic development of the areas concerned, and many more. The people and communities concerned have outlined their position for a number of years now and that is that the North-South Interconnector must go underground.
"Indeed, technological advances in recent years show that undergrounding is not only feasible but cost effective over the life of the project. It is certainly the best way to deliver this important infrastructure on time and on budget. This one move will address the full suite of genuine concerns."
(CD/JP)
