Ms Anja Murray:

It is about strategic planning as opposed to issues being led along based on whose plot of land is at stake or who wants to do what where. A greater degree of strategic planning will help the roll-out of renewable energy. BirdWatch Ireland's sensitivity mapping project is identifying areas where there is a higher or lower risk for wind energy specifically. That is one tool out of a range of tools which can be used by developers and regulatory agencies to facilitate roll-out. As I said, BirdWatch Ireland is absolutely supportive of Ireland meeting its renewable energy targets, including in the area of wind energy. We are particularly supportive of wind energy being rolled out in locations where there is no conflict with birds and habitats. That is entirely possible. I referred in our submission to a BirdLife Europe report entitled Meeting Europe's Renewable Energy Targets in Harmony with Nature.

It lays out a range of specific tools as to how we can deploy renewable energy in harmony with nature, including better spatial planning and strategic planning on which Ireland has not been particularly good so far. Some counties have wind energy strategies while some go into more detail on spatial planning than others. That is the main tool about which we talk in terms of nature conservation issues and renewable energy.