Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 18 February 2014

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht

Electricity Generation and Export: Discussion

5:25 pm

Mr. Tim Cowhig:

There is an ongoing process at the moment and we are engaging in that. All we can say at the moment is that whatever the result of that process, we will have to abide by it. We have already given that undertaking here today. Even if they are guidelines, we as a company will comply with those.

The way things are set up in Ireland, we have to have a legally binding contract with somebody before a business transaction can take place. While it would be nice in theory to start off by trying to get the community together for a community based project, it is not possible. At the end of the day, we have to have an optional agreement over particular land where the turbine will be sited. If there was a way to get the community together first and then put the turbine in place, I would like to hear it, but this is the way it has always been done.