Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Why are the midlands more suitable for providing onshore wind energy than other places? I would not have thought that the middle of Ireland was a good spot for wind speeds. Are the structures so high that the wind speed does not matter? What is the lifetime of the structure? When it comes to decommissioning, what will happen to the materials in the turbines? This is a technical question. Do the elements in the actual turbine have to be maintained at a constant temperature that is cooled in summer and heated in winter? If that is the case, what level of maintenance is required and what costs are involved in maintaining them?

In the presentation from Element Power we learned that the number of turbines in the midlands and Kerry is 750. Although the number of turbines is the same, are the heights of the turbines in Kerry the same as in the midlands? The questions of distance from turbines has been opened up for consultation. People have raised the question as to whether the distance from the turbine should be related to its height. Would it be feasible that the turbine be located at a distance of ten times the height of the structure from any building? We have very dispersed settlement patterns and in the midlands, homes are scattered across the landscape. It has been suggested there will be 3,000 turbines in the midlands. How can we ensure they are located so that they will not impact on people's homes as well as not having an impact on sound levels, property values and the health of the community?