Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Does Mr. Cowhig think it is fair, right or proper, considering what he has just said, that there are a large-scale applications in the planning process which some might argue seek to take advantage of guidelines that are not up to date? I am conscious of a decision by Offaly County Council yesterday. When the council members were asked for a comment by An Bord Pleanála on an application in Rhode for 32 turbines across a large portion of the north east of the county they acknowledged that they were going through a process of re-evaluating their existing development plan, which goes from 2015 to 2021, or whatever it might be. That process has obviously acknowledged that the guidelines that were there for 2009 and 2015 are very outdated. The promoters acknowledge that they want to work with everybody involved to have proper guidelines in place from 2015 onwards, yet behind the door they are making applications in the meantime.