Dr. Mary Kelly:

I noted those two questions. I am trying to figure out what I have not answered. On reading the decisions and the board orders that come out on wind energy, it will be seen the issues to which we have regard. We always have regard to the county development plan and we have regard to any wind energy strategy where it exists. An important part of our considerations is the presence or absence of a wind energy strategy. It is always taken into account.

Obviously, I cannot answer about any individual quarry case and I will not attempt to do so. The legislation on the regulation of quarries is extremely complex, and any of the people working in the field of quarries to whom the Deputy has spoken will probably have told him that. We must follow that legislation to the letter. Quarry development has happened in Ireland in a somewhat unregulated way over the years, but the European Union has insisted that we look back and redress the deficiencies, particularly in environmental impact assessment and appropriate assessment. There have been a series of regulations and legislation on quarries that we have had to implement. Between us and the planning authorities, there has been an awful lot of work on this. It is very difficult for the quarry owners as well as for us to make decisions in this regard. It is very complex.