Deputy Michael Kitt:

I welcome the representatives of An Bord Pleanála. Many people have asked questions about wind farms and I will not go back over that. I have a question on proposed ESB and EirGrid projects for the west coast. Are the existing guidelines for keeping away from schools, housing estates and places where people gather still important to An Bord Pleanála? Those in County Clare would have much to say about how the lines were erected there and I am concerned about the same issue in County Galway. I have no complaints about what is happening and what I think is happening, but in County Clare people still talk about serious illness regarding schools.

While I very much welcome what is happening with retail development, there are some concerns about out-of-town developments. Are there cases where developers and those with objections are very close together on parking and park and ride facilities? In some cases individuals, communities and bodies such as an Taisce have been advised to withdraw their objections or else there will be no further progress. I would hope it would be possible to get people together to discuss these issues and ascertain if retail development can blend in a town centre rather than always having it outside a town.