Eirgrid has confirmed that approximately €40m in compensation has been offered to landowners as part of the voluntary easement scheme for the North-South Interconnector.
EirGrid’s team of agricultural liaison officers will meet with every landowner on a one-to-one basis to discuss the associated compensation payments being offered, and to directly answer all related queries.
The exact terms of each individual compensation arrangement is unique, and will vary depending on the circumstances involved.
In addition to compensation packages, EirGrid has also made a further €4.7 million in proximity payments available for dwellings within 200m of the agreed 400kV line.
A community benefit fund of €12 million will also be implemented as soon as construction commences, providing local voluntary, community, and sporting organisations with an opportunity to identify projects which can further enhance their locality.
North-South Interconnector
The compensation for the North-South Interconnector follows an initial series of written correspondence with 400 landowners across counties Monaghan, Cavan and Meath, which commenced in October, regarding the infrastructure being proposed on landholdings.
The planning for this cross-border electricity project has been undertaken by EirGrid in the Republic of Ireland, with construction works to be carried out by ESB Networks.
Landowners not entering into a voluntary agreement will be included in the compulsory purchase order (CPO) process. This step was outlined in EirGrid’s first letter to landowners.
ESB Networks will make an application to the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) requesting compulsory purchase orders of these lands to enable construction to commence.
Once those orders are granted, construction by the ESB can proceed.
Any compensation due thereafter would fall outside the parameters of this compensation process, and would instead be dealt with through a standardised arbitration process.
This is similar for what is available for other state utility projects such as infrastructure around water or roads.