A RURAL community in Co Laois has staged a “tie a yellow ribbon” protest to symbolise its opposition to a proposed new high-voltage electricity substation.
Residents of Ratheniska, a village near Portlaoise, yesterday organised a well-attended, peaceful protest outside a hotel where Eirgrid was holding a public consultation about its plans for the Laois-Kilkenny electricity reinforcement scheme. The State-owned company says the scheme is “essential for economic development in the south midlands region” and envisages building a new substation at “a location to be determined” to the southeast of Portlaoise.
But residents claim Eirgrid’s “study area” is unsuitable, and are lobbying for the facility to be located “away from population centres in an area with forests or wasteland”.
The Ratheniska Action Group said the new substation would require “a 20-acre site” to accommodate a “100ft high structure, massive pylons, a constant buzzing noise and up to 11 high voltage power lines”.
Colm Fingleton, a spokesman for the group, claimed the substation would be “a blight on a scenic area” and he was “fearful for the health implications associated with electromagnetic field waves”. He said “everyone in the community is on board – even the farmers, who won’t sell land to Eirgrid”. Mr Fingleton urged supporters to “tie a yellow ribbon on tractors, cars, farm gates – even animals” in solidarity.
Laois Co Council has passed a motion “unanimously” rejecting the Eirgrid proposal.
The action group said it had also written to Taoiseach Brian Cowen, a TD for the constituency, and was “awaiting a reply”.
Ciara Feehely, a spokeswoman for Eirgrid, said the company was trying to develop the new infrastructure in the most environmentally-sensitive way possible, and was happy and willing to talk to local people. She said the precise plans had “not yet been finalised”.