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

To some degree there is a dialogue of the deaf between Deputy Colreavy and me. I would argue that five of the Deputy's six conditions are included in the strategy, and the impact on human health and animals is emphatically included. There are rigorous planning hurdles that must be complied with, including environmental impact assessments. The relative contribution of developing an energy sector based on renewables, or the relative impact of developing an export sector as compared with tourism contributions and so on, are a matter of judgment. For example, my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy O'Dowd, deals with inland fisheries and must make a judgment on the contribution from angling tourism compared with the desire of my colleague, the Minister, Deputy Coveney, to develop a fish farming sector in Ireland. One makes a judgment call on such issues, as it is the only way to deal with them. The approval and granting process could not be more rigorous, and the planning guidelines are out for consultation at the moment. The renewable energy and wind energy strategy, as published, requires that developers have regard to community benefit, and there is an express statement in that regard.

I cannot answer about revenue to the State. If the Deputy is referring to the question of the export sector, the memorandum of understanding between me and my counterpart in London was signed in Dublin in January. It will take the completion of the intergovernmental agreement before one can make a stab at the commercial contracts that can go ahead as a result of that. That concerns how the State's stake reverts and whether it comes through equity participation, taxation, royalties and so on. That will be dealt with in the course of the year.

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