Brian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Wind Turbine Regulation Bill 2016 brought by Sinn Féin stipulated that wind turbines and wind farms would have to come in lower than the World Health Organization noise guidelines. Bills can be amended. The Bill was Sinn Féin's opening shot. The Minister said the proposed Government guidelines are now open for public consultation and the noise guidelines will be retrospectively applied. Does that imply that under those guidelines, which are not regulations, turbines would have to be switched off in wind farms that exceed recommended WHO noise levels?

When is the strategic environmental assessment due to commence? It was indicated by the Government during the Dáil debate on the Wind Turbine Regulation Bill that the contract for the strategic environmental assessment was going to tender the very next day.