Permission for development which will consist of the construction of a medium voltage (MV) underground cable (UGC), c.3.7 km in length, between the existing Poppintree 110kV substation on a site to the south of St. Margaret's Road (R104) in the townland of Ballymun, Co. Dublin and a proposed single-storey 20kV substation on a site to the south of the Old Airport Road (L2015) in the townland of Ballystraun, Co. Dublin. The proposed UGC will be principally located underneath public roads (R104, M50, and Naul Road (R108)) in the townlands of Ballymun and Balcurris, Co. Dublin (c. 2.3 km in length), with the remainder, c. 1.4km in length, located in the townlands of Ballymun, Coultry and Ballystraun, Co. Dublin. The proposed UGC will require Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) under the M50 and under the Turnapin Stream. The proposed development will also consist of 2 no. single-storey 20kV substations, including 1 no. 20kV substation (Substation 1) on a site to the south of the R104 in the townland of Balcurris, Co. Dublin, and 1 no. 20kV substation (Substation 2) on a site to the south of the Old Airport Road (L2015) in the townland of Ballystraun, Co. Dublin, and all site development and landscaping works, including a construction compound, and a HDD work area. The UGC route will consist of a trench containing 4 no. 125mm diameter ducts as far as Substation 1 where 2 no. 125mm diameter ducts will terminate, and the remaining 2 no. 125mm diameter ducts will continue to their termination at Substation 2. The proposed development will serve the construction phase of MetroLink. On 30 September 2025 An Coimisiún Pleanála granted a Railway Order for MetroLink (the 'RO') pursuant to Section 43 (2) of the Transport (Railway Infrastructure) Act 2001 (as amended) (the '2001 Act'). On 12 January 2026, the RO became operative pursuant to Section 43 (4) of the 2001 Act. Following completion of the MetroLink tunnelling works, the proposed UGC located underneath public roads (R104, M50, Naul Road (R108)) will be decommissioned and capped for safety, while the ducting will remain in place for potential future reuse by ESB. That part of the proposed UGC that is located on private lands will be decommissioned by removing the supply cable. The 2 no. proposed substations will be decommissioned and removed on completion of the MetroLink tunnelling works and these lands will be reinstated. An Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) and Natura Impact Statement (NIS) have been prepared in respect of the proposed development and will be submitted to the planning authority with the application.

Lands primarily public roads (R104, M50, R108) between the existing Po