Councillor Owen Bannigan of the Co Monaghan Anti-Pylon Committee, whose objection led to the withdrawal of the Eirgrid North/South Interconnector planning application is calling on local people to ask the President through correspondence not to sign into law an amendment to the new Planning and Development Act.

The Fine Gael councillor also said this week that people need to act within the next few days. According to him, the proposed 90 amendments to Section 50 of the Bill which were guillotined through the Dail in the final sittings before the summer recess, will prevent voluntary groups from receiving their litigation costs in future. Cllr Bannigan said Eirgrid were forced to withdraw their application in the end over a technicality - however, the semi-state body intends to pursue a second application.

Cllr Bannigan recently objected to the adoption of the regional planning guidelines which would include the amendments at a Border Regional authority meeting and the grouping have now postponed any deliberations on the matter until September. He said this week that the people have to be aware of the implications if these amendments are adopted as they will have far reaching consequences for families and communities along the route of any national strategic infrastructural development in the future.

Councillor Bannigan said, "We are calling on all of the people of Monaghan to immediately write to President McAleese today, before she is wrongly convinced to sign the amendments into law. Our message is clear safeguard your rights and the well being of your children, write to the President today."

Pictured is Cllr Owen Bannigan.