Sir, – Minister for Energy Pat Rabbitte is quoted in Steven Carroll’s report (“Rabbitte accepts consultation over pylon concerns not good enough”, Front Page, January 4th) as criticising both Eirgrid and the Government for failing to consult properly the local communities about the grid-link project to erect pylons and thus ruin our landscape. Mr Rabbitte went on to say that “it is incumbent on those of us involved to . . . get as much community acceptance as we can”.
Does this not imply that instead of placing the concerns of those directly exposed to the implications of such a project as his priority, Mr Rabbitte is in fact approving the scheme on condition that the Government and Eirgrid get as much acceptance from the community “as possible”?
Regardless of whether that level of acceptance is even close to a public majority of the local communities in question? – Yours, etc,
LUKE FitzHERBERT,
Killanne,
Enniscorthy,
Co Wexford.
Sir, – I found your report on the anti-pylon folk a bit distressing. Some heat but no light. The generation and distribution of electricity is a highly technical engineering matter. As is, of course, the exploitation of natural gas resources. Both require highly trained engineers to achieve the desired objectives in a practical and safe manner. A little knowledge acquired on the internet is not enough but is, in fact, more than a little dangerous.
Alison Healy’s report (“Opponents of pylons and wind turbines come together to highlight their concerns”, Home News, January 6th) notes a protest banner with the message “Bury the cable, not the people”. The protesters’ slogan implies that overhead transmission lines kill people: where has this happened? The facts ignored are that buried cables are vastly more expensive than overhead lines and are wildly uneconomic. Why do these people not tell us which countries have pursued their “policies”? As far as I know there is not one noteworthy country which has a 100 per cent cable policy for high-voltage transmission. Not one. – Your, etc,
MICHAEL CUNNINGHAM,
Wyckham Place,
Dundrum,
Dublin 16.
Sir, – After over two decades of exhaustive research in Ireland and elsewhere there is no evidence whatsoever, even at the lowest level, to prove, suggest or imply that pylons damage the health of those living nearby. That the argument around pylons continues, and at such a hysterical, irrational, frivolous and unfounded level, is disappointing. By now people should know better. – Yours, etc,
CHRISTIAN MORRIS,
Claremont Road,
Howth,
Dublin 13.
Sir, – There is one way to solve our need to criss-cross the country with electricity pylons. We could stop flood-lighting our sheds, yards, gardens and the entrances to our houses, and we could stop putting dozens of spotlights on the roofs of our kitchens or sitting rooms. The gnomes in my garden have never once asked to be flood-lit at night. – Yours, etc,
KEN BUGGY,
Ballydubh Upper,
Co Waterford.