Susan O'Keeffe (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I agree with the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources that wind will be an important commodity in the future, but with that importance comes enormous problems. We see here a very personal problem for one person and the many others who live near her in that a wind farm is being located right next to where they live. There are difficulties for this committee in the specific issues but there are sufficient policy matters raised here for us to keep more than a watching brief on this. There is the matter of oversight of local planning. There are matters relating to the need for local consultation.

I would have to perhaps not disagree with Deputy Healy-Rae but point out that a community impact statement is required under guidelines. All wind farm developments require a community impact statement which identifies the potential impacts of the proposed development on the local community. That appears not to have taken place but other requirements also appear not to have taken place. This is a matter of local planning and local consultation. There is, possibly, a need for compulsory guidelines on the building of wind farms, of which we will undoubtedly see more. These are a good development but they must be controlled and this committee has the capacity to play an important part in how that continues.

While we cannot stop this project going ahead, I would sincerely hope that we make the point to the petitioner, difficult though it will be for her, that we do not have that capacity, unfortunately, but that we would like to believe we have the capacity to change the way other decisions may be made in the future. That is what I would like to see this committee doing and I would like to be part of that process. Whatever we agree on today should be with a view to having a proper consultation about this matter in the future.