THE TWO UTILITY companies at the centre of a dispute with a landowner in Co Offaly who has been jailed for refusing to allow works to be carried on her property have said they “deeply regret” the situation.
Teresa Treacy, 65, is currently in Mountjoy Prison after being jailed for contempt of court two weeks ago when she asserted that she would not allow staff from the ESB and Eirgrid to gain access to her land in order to continue construction of an overhead power line.
The High Court had granted the companies an order allowing them to proceed with their works in August but Treacy and a support group that has been set up on her behalf argue that the construction of the power line would mean that a substantial number of trees on her land at Clonmore, near Tullamore would be felled.
In a statement issued today, Eirgrid and ESB said they “deeply regret” that the situation had gone this far and said that their proposals had included the planting of replacement trees.
They also said that the land in question was a commercial tree plantation which had been planted in the 1990s.
The companies added that discussions were ongoing with the landowner’s family and a number of her neighbours in a bid to resolve the dispute.
“The objective is to complete the construction of the line as soon as possible and to resolve the dispute,” they added.
It’s understood that both companies feel the situation will not be resolved until the construction of the Cushaling to Thornsberry line is completed. The overhead power line is part of an investment of €22 million into the midlands area which is considered essential for the power there.
In a related development, the Teresa Treacy Support Group today called on supporters of the campaign to boycott the ESB by switching service providers.
The group also says that the stand off which has developed between the chainsaw crew and supporters of Ms Treacy on her land at Clonmore continues and that supporters are currently planting ash trees on the land.
- additional reporting from Hilary Tully
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