Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have a few questions for the representatives of Bord na Móna. They said that they do not have a problem with local councillors designating matters in the county development plans. In Laois and other counties, however, the designated areas for the planned locations are being ignored in many cases. The land rights for the plant and wind farms are being bought up completely off-pitch or off-stage. With regard to the guidelines, would they support proper statutory regulations regarding the siting of wind farms? Communities feel the guidelines are a little elastic and that they can be pulled north, south, east or west or be made as long or short as one wishes. There is a feeling that the new guidelines might not be much better than the old ones. There are planning regulations for most other things so how would Bord na Móna feel about reasonable regulations in terms of its developments locally?

The other question is about the entire alternative energy sector, where there is use of biomass, peat and wind. We only have a short time so perhaps the representatives would give brief answers. How much time or focus is given to looking at geothermal, anaerobic digestion and hydro options? Bord na Móna might not have many opportunities on site for hydro, but people involved in Spirit of Ireland, in many publications over a number of years, spoke about the potential of hydro. We have two huge examples of hydro, one in Wicklow and one on the Shannon. How much investigation has there been of hydro? I am a little concerned about this reliance on wind alone.

With regard to height, there is a maximum height beyond what is reasonable. As some speakers have said today, planning is about a balance and what is reasonable. Some buildings that were proposed for this city did not get permission from An Bord Pleanála or the city council because it was believed they would be outrageously high. It is the same in rural areas. The turbines are 185 m in height, which is almost 600 feet. We have never seen anything like that and it will change the Irish landscape forever, particularly in the midlands. If there was something that height within a five or six mile radius of where I am living, I would be able to see it. Would the representatives be prepared to buy into, or see a need for, a maximum height for turbines?

My final question for the representatives of Bord na Móna is about undergrounding cables, Grid25 and the debate about pylons as opposed to the underground option. Bord na Móna, like Element Power, is opting for underground. It might be a different system but it is an underground system to carry the cable to the interconnector. What made them decide upon the underground option rather than the overground one?