Taoiseach Enda Kenny is facing renewed concerns from his own TDs about plans to build a new network of giant electricity pylons across large rural parts of the State.

There is anxiety in both Fine Gael and Labour that public resistance to the €3.2 billion initiative by EirGrid could damage the Coalition's prospects in the local and European elections in May as well as at the next general election.

The issue was raised last night at the first Fine Gael parliamentary party meeting meeting of the year with TDs John Deasy, Waterford; John Paul Phelan and Pat Deering, Carlow-Kilkenny; Michelle Mulherin, Mayo; and Bernard Durkan, Kildare, expressing concerns.

One TD said Mr Kenny gave an indication that routing cables underground was not to be excluded. “We simply don’t know it’s a possibility, what the costs would be and whether people would face those costs.”