Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

On the basis of the Minister's response, I am happy to withdraw my amendment, on the understanding that I may come back to it on Report Stage. Of particular concern to me are those projects at the very end of their life, where their life span has, in reality, extended beyond what was predicted but would not necessarily justify the investment required for a new planning application. The planning applications we are discussing are not simple or easy and they can be very costly. We do not want to see the inadvertent ending of the production of renewable energy earlier than would be sensible. I hear what the Minister is saying but I am conscious that towards the end of the lifetime of a project, the technology and infrastructure might still have life left in them but might not necessarily justify the cost of a whole new planning application. We could end up in a situation where renewable energy is tuned off simply because of the cost of a renewal process. That may not happen but we must make sure it is avoided. However, on the basis of the Minister's response and the guidelines that are expected, I am happy to withdraw the amendment.