Ms Nora Fagan:

I can only speak for the farmers with whom I have dealt. They are very clear they want to pull out and they do not want any further wind turbine development on their farms. Unfortunately, all of these options have been registered as burdens on their folios which means they cannot sell a site or dispose of it to their families. Most agricultural land is passed on through inheritance or gift. These options mean the land is converted from agricultural status to industrial. This impacts on capital acquisitions tax and agricultural reliefs, so therefore the reliefs are lost. This has to be taken up at senior level because of the potential devastation it could have on farmers and farming families. We are not just talking about some rural pockets in Westmeath. I have spoken to farmers in all five surrounding counties and this matter needs to be taken up at national level.