Ms Agnes Doolan:

She stated the height of the turbines would be dominant, visually intrusive and impact negatively. There would be a loss of visual amenity for the locals, excess noise and shadow flicker. She also noted that there were 34 houses within 1,200 m of the site. Significantly, she stated only the minimum requirements of the 2006 guidelines had been applied. Many of the houses would suffer a great loss of residential amenity. We are lucky that Cloghan is to be found near 12 special areas of conservation and six special protection areas for birds; therefore, the threat to wildfowl was another reason she had turned down the application for the wind farm, with the negative effect on tourism.

To go back to the statement by Mr. Bacon, he states he need not list the many reasons the people of Garbally do not want industrial wind turbines in their area. He states these concerns have been put to the Government and the energy companies on numerous occasions but they have been met with derision. He states with certainty that the overwhelming majority of Garbally residents do not want them.

Since I broke the story, three land owners who do not live in the area have come forward about four turbines, but there may be others. They do not have to live with the consequences. Mr. Bacon also states once an application goes in they only have seven weeks in which to defend themselves.