Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."

This Bill is an attempt to get the balance right with regard to planning and wind turbines. Every public representative from the midlands is aware that the proposal for industrial-scale wind farms has generated massive debate and much opposition. The proposed turbines are of a height and size never seen before in this country. Many people are concerned by the prospect of large turbines being erected close to their homes, as well as the impact they would have on the landscape, tourism, agriculture and the quality of people’s lives. That is why there is a need for the robust regulations we outline in this Bill. It is in that context I am introducing this Bill on behalf of Sinn Féin. I hope it will be supported in moving to the next Stage, where it can form the basis of much-needed legislation in this area.

All we have with regard to wind farms are guidelines, which are being updated. I do not believe this is adequate given the many concerns about wind farms, especially in the context of the massive ones proposed for counties Laois, Westmeath and south Kildare. The Government was supporting this development for the export of electricity in the absence of an overall energy policy that would properly plan the development of wind energy and other renewable energy sources. The whole sector, however, is now driven by private companies rather than a coherent long-term strategy. We clearly need planning regulations that are fit for purpose, and they should be mandatory rather than being voluntary or in the form of suggestions.

With regard to set-back distances, the current guidelines recommend that turbines be placed no closer than 500 m from the nearest dwelling site. That is not mandatory, however, and is very much dependent on the size of the turbine. One key proposal in this Bill is that there should be a minimum set-back distance of ten times the height of the turbine.

Section 4 sets out that all proposed wind farms must comply with and be consistent with county development plans and cannot be overridden by the Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Act 2006. Wind farms must be located in areas zoned by local councillors. This is crucial to the planning aspects of wind farm developments and was underlined by the recent departmental decision to overrule a decision by Westmeath County Council to enforce minimum set-back distances.

The proposal to install massive industrial-scale wind farms in the midlands now appears to have been placed on hold, although the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Rabbitte, was somewhat vague when he appeared before the environment committee last week as to the likelihood of the project being revived. The basis for the project was the memorandum of understanding between this State and Britain to export electricity to Britain. Our Bill proposes that no such export contracts can be concluded until the State attains its own targets in electricity generated from renewable sources. That also addresses a concern of the Irish Wind Energy Association in its submission to our Bill. While the export of electricity from wind and other renewable sources has much potential for the country in the future, we ought surely to be reducing our own dependency on imported fossil fuels and addressing fuel poverty. So far, we have seen no cost-benefit analysis as to whether export electricity generated from wind would be a viable option. The Minister claims work has been done in this regard but I have not seen any of it. There is also the feeling that the midlands will be used for industrial-scale wind farms that would not be tolerated in Britain. This, in combination with the economic argument regarding the export of wind-generated electricity, has persuaded many people and whole communities to oppose the plans. I suspect it has played no small part in the decision to put aside or postpone the proposal.

Another issue dealt with in this Bill is consultation with local communities where it is proposed to site wind farms. Too often, consultation really means that people are told what will happen while not having any power to amend or prevent what is proposed. We saw this recently with the pylons issue, where a second round of consultations was set up - in effect, an admission that the first consultation process was inadequate. The suspicion, however, is that the real reason for putting the pylons issue on the long finger until the local and European elections are over is to ensure the issue does not affect the chances of candidates from the government parties in those elections. Many people are similarly suspicious that the midlands wind farm project will likewise be revived some time later in the year. Will the Government clarify this?

Section 5 provides that the specifications of all proposed wind farms will be well advertised in the local media and accompanied by detailed maps showing exactly where they are to be located. The project managers would also be obliged to supply a report outlining all aspects of a wind farm project and its impact on the nearby community. A public meeting would then be organised at which all people living within the set-back distance would be invited to voice their opinion, as well as being allowed to make written submissions.

Other issues dealt with in the Bill include noise and shadow flicker. There is some debate over the impact these have on people living in proximity to turbines. We propose that shadow flicker should not pass over any dwelling. We also propose that wind farm operators deposit a bond with the local authority, similar to that for developing housing estates, for dealing with any damage caused to roads and other infrastructure.

We need strict regulations also for the decommissioning of wind turbines at the end of their 20 year lifespan. The operator at that time must be responsible for decommissioning. We believe such regulations would go a long way towards addressing the concerns of local communities and ensuring wind farms were compatible with the interests and needs of local communities. It is about getting the balance right.

I stress that neither Sinn Féin nor I is opposed to the development of wind farms as part of the replacing fossil fuels with renewable resources in the generation of energy. We must move to renewable sources of energy. However, there are questions about the current economic aspects of wind farms and the perception that the emphasis is being place on wind energy to the detriment of other renewable resources.

We have not explored the use of biomass sufficiently and seem to have moved away from the consideration of hydro energy. We all know that none of these alone can provide the energy we need, but a wider view must be taken. Solar energy must be considered. There is a strong school of thought that the real dividend for this country, because of our location, will be from the use of tidal and wave power, but further development and research is required before its use can be progressed. We can become a global leader with this technology and it has massive potential, can bring economic benefits and enable us to supply our own needs and those of neighbouring countries such as England, Scotland and Wales.

I urge all Deputies to support our Bill. It may not be perfect and some may find fault with it, but we ask Deputies to support it as it is an honest attempt to provide regulations for what is coming. We know from the past, particularly the housing boom, the problems that arise owing to the lack of regulation. The absence of proper regulation, zoning and guidelines has meant the State made a bags of the boom. We know the economic consequences of this and the planning consequences can be seen in the ghost estates in towns and villages throughout the State. As a result of the economic consequences, people are coming into our constituency offices with problems owing to the fact they have been left with huge debts on houses that are now only worth a fraction of what they paid for them. What we suggest is we must get the planning aspect and economic case for energy development right. We must also take a broader view of how we can meet our alternative energy needs. Our energy needs will not be met from one source. The days of meeting our needs mainly through the use of coal, gas or oil are gone. In the future we will have a tapestry of means of generating electricity, particularly in the renewables sector. We must increase its development. There will be little difference between political parties on this issue and all will agree that we must do this for economic and environmental reasons and to ensure we will have a sustainable economy and society for the future.

I urge Government Deputies and all others to support the Bill in order that it can proceed and be debated properly. This is a debate we should have had two years ago, but what is happening is that we are following behind development, which is happening. It is only because communities have stood up to speak out on this issue and suggested we take another look at it, only because people have protested, only because concerns have been raised throughout the State and only because the British Government has had second thoughts - I do not agree with its reasons for changing its mind - that we are getting this opportunity to reconsider. I appeal to the Minister with responsibility for planning to ensure we take another look at this issue. Let us go about this the right way and ensure we do not repeat the mistakes we have made in the past.

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