Mr. Justin Moran:

I might ask Mr. Kelly to come in on the setback distance from the turbines, but first I will go through a few of the questions the Deputy asked. We are not aware of any objections or opposition to Arklow Bank 1, the existing wind farm that is out there. I think until the blades came down there was a tourist company providing rides where you could get on a boat and sail out to look at the wind farm. There are currently six planning applications for offshore wind energy projects with An Coimisiún Pleanála. They are Sceirde Rocks off the coast of Galway, Oriel off the coast of Louth, the north Irish Sea array off the coast of north County Dublin, the Dublin array off the coast of Dún Laoghaire, Codling off the coast of Wicklow and Arklow Bank 2 off the coast of Arklow.

On the Maritime Area Planning Act, we engaged with the Department of housing in the pre-legislative process to try to feed into that legislation and then to try to shape it. It was good legislation. Setting up the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority was a big step forward and we welcome it.