Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

I am very aware of it. As recently as yesterday, the Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan, and I met Senator Kelly and some of his colleagues about his Bill. His Bill has certainly attracted a great deal of support, which I acknowledge. He raised an issue which is a matter of concern for some residents. The Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan, and her officials are engaged in further discussions with him in the matter of the appropriateness of the guidelines to which the Deputy referred.

My view is that this issue is better dealt with through more flexible guidelines than through rigid primary legislation. We had some discussion for over an hour and a quarter yesterday about the kind of things such guidelines would have to encompass. A turbine 500 m from one's house, which happens to be behind a mountain, is not exactly intruding on one's house but if it is twirling over one's roof, one has a different view. Many issues have to be taken into account and the Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan, who has responsibility for planning in this area, is dealing directly with Senator Kelly.

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