Mr. Andrew Duncan:

That ties in with a number of questions that have been asked. Deputy Cowen’s question was on turbines getting bigger. They are not only getting bigger, they are moving from uninhabited areas in the distant background into inhabited areas. We are particular supporters of Deputy Penrose’s Private Members’ Bill and Senator Kelly’s Bill prior to that. Regulation, as opposed to guidelines, would be infinitely better. Unfortunately, the Maynooth report which was commissioned by the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, on the impact based on set-back distances as laid out in Deputy Penrose’s Bill would have left only 3% of the country viable for wind turbine development. If that is all that is viable then that is all that is viable. There are 200,000 acres of cut-away bog that is appropriate for the purpose. People must be protected. We are not anti-wind energy. That must be stressed at every opportunity. We are very much pro-wind but it is all about correct, proper and transparent planning and protecting communities. We have heard numerous concerns today and as Deputy Luke 'Ming' Flanagan said, every one of them could be addressed by appropriate set-back distances as per Deputy Penrose’s Bill. We would be in favour of the progression of the Bill from its initial Private Members’ status and into the public domain.