John Kelly (Labour)

I call on the Leader for an urgent debate on the future of wind energy. This issue is separate to my Bill on wind turbines' minimum distances from residential premises. In terms of the economic viability of wind power, the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Rabbitte, has inherited a considerable problem from the last Government. The experts claim our policy is wrong. I support Senator Barrett's previous call for a cost benefit analysis of wind energy. The Prime Minister of the UK, David Cameron, has stated that England will move away from wind energy because it is not viable. The same is occurring in Wales, Scotland and the US. Denmark, the wind farm capital of Europe, is moving away from wind energy because its electricity costs are 30% higher than Ireland's. Professor Colm McCarthy stated that we will need a NAMA for wind farms at some point. Will we continue building castles in the sand while providing significant subsidies to the farms' developers?

My main concern stems from the independent legal advice I have received. I have been told that the State is leaving itself liable to be sued because we are not in compliance with World Health Organization, WHO, guidelines on noise levels or with the Aarhus Convention, which gives people the right to participate in any planning process prior to contracts being signed. We are defying their rights. Eight cases involving wind farm developments in Cork are before the High Court. I fear that there will be an "Army Deafness: Part 2" case, that the floodgates will open and that we will be sued. We need an urgent debate on this matter and to take our findings to the Minister.