Teresa Treacy freed

Teresa Treacy is today back with her family after ESB and EirGrid yesterday (Thursday) sought her release from prison. Sixty-five year old Ms Treacy has been in prison since September 13 for contempt of court, after defying orders and blocking ESB and EirGrid workers from accessing her land to remove trees and make way for the construction of a power line. A statement released by ESB and EirGrid yesterday afternoon said they sought Ms Treacy's release "to facilitate an appropriate environment for further discussions to resolve matters around the construction of the Cushaling-Thornsberry 100kV line". The statement said "intensive" efforts had taken place with Ms Treacy's family and the IFA to resolve the situation, and Ms Treacy's release would enable "further dialogue with her and her family to reach a mutually agreeable solution". The statement said both companies were pleased Ms Treacy was returning to her family after a difficult time, but said they "remain committed to the completion of the project, which is critical to providing a safe, secure and reliable electricity system for the Midlands region". Speaking after Ms Treacy's release from prison Offaly IFA Chairman Joe Parlon said the important thing now, ahead of negotiations, was to get Teresa "back into the bosom of her family". "Her family were absolutely stressed out and Teresa was backed into a corner in prison," Mr Parlon said. "We have been putting an awful lot of pressure on ESB and EirGrid," he added. "I think everyone was of the one opinion that she should never have been put in jail." Mr Parlon agreed with the ESB and EirGrid statement that Teresa's release was necessary to progress negotiations further. "It was impossible to negotiate and she in prison," he said. "We have been in negotiations, but they were at an impasse until Teresa was released. We had made as much progress as we could." Mr Parlon said he was particularly annoyed the IFA's help wasn't sought by EirGrid and ESB until Ms Treacy was imprisoned. "A number of years ago a person from the IFA and possibly ESB would go out and walk the land and see if there was any compromise," he said. Mr Parlon said progress has been made in negotiations up until now, with the amount of land to be used brought down from ten acres to 3.5, with no mature trees felled and none of Ms Treacy's favourites. Plans for replanting were also discussed, but Mr Parlon said before any more negotiations take place Teresa Treacy needs to be left alone at home with her family for a few days. Meanwhile Cormac Lally of the Teresa Treacy Support Group said he and his fellow supporters are "absolutely delighted". "We're just delighted that she's out and that she can enter into meaningful negotiations on her own behalf," he said yesterday. "She can look them in the eye herself and tell them exactly what she wants for her land." However he also expressed disappointment that Ms Treacy's release was not sought weeks ago. He said he and others are "here until Teresa asks us otherwise". "If Teresa asks us to leave in the morning we'll all go, but we'll be here to protect her trees if it's her wishes," he said.