Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I do not disagree with very much of what Deputy Moynihan stated. He is correct - and I repeat - that we must proceed with sensitivity. There are always local considerations which must be taken into account. I am very conscious of that fact. On Saturday last in Galway, I met representatives from the organisation known by the acronym CREWE. The full title of the organisation escapes me but it is an alliance of citizens groups concerned about the fair development of wind energy. Deputy Pringle probably knows its exact title. The arguments put forward by the people with whom I spoke were sensible and rational in the main. They are not trying to stop development of wind energy in this country. Rather, they are trying to ensure that such development will not unreasonably cause incursion on their homes.

I accept what Deputy Moynihan said. I tend to think that he has also encountered groups such as that to which I refer throughout the country. Having spoken to the people who have given responsibility for discharging our plans, I am of the view that the planning guidelines might be examined because many of the questions I, as Minister with responsibility for energy, am asked relate to environmental and planning matters.

The Deputy probably knows that the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government and the Minister for planning, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, have had a public consultation on this issue, which I believe concluded only last week, and they have had a significant degree of response from the community to that public consultation. I presume the Minster of State will soon start to evaluate the various submissions that have come in. We have to proceed conscious of the rights of the community as well.

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