EirGrid has failed to get a court order requiring an anti-pylon group to provide security for the costs of its legal action against the company.
The action was aimed at recovering costs incurred by it due to a planning hearing on the proposed North/South electricity interconnector having been abandoned after 23 days. The planning hearing was abandoned at the request of EirGrid due to a mistake over the height of the proposed pylons in newspaper advertisements concerning the project.
County Monaghan Anti-Pylon Ltd, representing campaigners who want a €280 million high-voltage power line from Meath to Tyrone put underground because of fears of cancer-causing radiation from overhead cables, is suing EirGrid to recover lost money of about €250,000 incurred when the oral planning hearing had to be abandoned.
The anti-pylon group says it needs to recover the costs so it can be represented at the future hearing. EirGrid had brought a pre-trial application for an order requiring the group to provide security for the costs of its proceedings.
However, in the High Court yesterday, Mr Justice Peter Charleton refused the application.