Mr. Mark Griffin:

We have had discussions with our colleagues in the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. There have also been discussions on the issue at ministerial level. We found it difficult to arrive at an outcome that would balance the real concerns of communities about the impact of wind energy developments with the binding EU target to have 16% of our energy generated from renewable sources by 2020. All of the evidence to date, including the basis of the decision in 2008 that wind energy would form the backbone of our renewable energy contribution, has been based largely on the fact that this is the most effective solution. I refer members to the reports compiled at EU level. The subsidy we provide for a megawatt hour of renewable energy generation is approximately €2.03. The EU average is €13.68 per megawatt hour. The only countries in which the figure is lower are Norway and Finland.

We will be consulting shortly on a renewable electricity policy and development framework. I hope the relevant document in this regard will be available today on the Department's website. The consultation process will seek to identify a number of locations for large-scale renewable energy developments across the State. It will also focus on social acceptance issues. The National Economic and Social Council has done a great deal of work in the past couple of years on how communities want to be involved in decisions and how they want to share in the benefits of decarbonisation because we have to move to a low-carbon economy between now and 2050. Members will recall that in the White Paper published by the Minister prior to Christmas there was a huge focus on the need for community engagement, involvement and benefits and the proposed establishment of a national energy forum by the third quarter of this year.

On the noise issue, the Department's view is that the focus should be on setting an appropriate noise limit to try to deal with some of the concerns being expressed to Deputy John Deasy.