Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

That is encouraging and I ask that the Minister deepen the process to pursue it. He is pushing an open door in Shannon. There is a lot already happening, he and the industry are interested in it and there is funding in Europe to guide and steer it forward. I hope it will be pursued further.

I must leave shortly to attend the Dáil but I have two more brief questions. The EU directive on the common system of VAT was amended in December, which potentially paves the way for action on the cost of bicycles. I cycled here today, as I am sure did the Minister. However, bicycles are still very costly. In fact, they have become more costly at a time we want more people using them. Is the Minister looking seriously, with his colleague, the Minister for Finance at having zero VAT on bicycles?

My final question relates to wind turbines. I know this straddles two Departments and we had a chat about it only a few weeks ago. I understand the guidelines are in the Minister's Department before they go back to the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government. It is crucial that they be updated. The current guidance is grossly outdated, going back to 2006. There are two sides of the coin when it comes to people's views on turbines. In fact, most of us take a middle position in that we embrace renewable energy but are concerned by what we are seeing in some locations. In parts of County Clare, there is a proliferation of turbines, some of them twice the height of Big Ben, the famous clock in the heart of London. The siting of turbines in Gougane Barra in west Cork was on the news last night. They are springing up everywhere. They are positive on one hand but there is a proliferation of them in some parts of Ireland. When I get the train, once I pass the Curragh towards Dublin, I do not see a single one. They all seem to be dotted along the west coast.

When will we get the updated guidelines? People will tolerate a certain number of turbines but it has now got to the point of proliferation and dumping on communities. We need more rigorous guidelines that allow the industry to function - it, too, wants updated guidance - but also give some safeguarding to communities. At the moment, we are nowhere.