Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

While all these consultations are going on, the fact remains that the plans are there to develop 10,000 wind farms in the midlands, no matter how much the Minister of State does not say it. However much we try to get communities on board and so on, they are still going to be facing that prospect. We are still facing the prospect of having to invest €4.2 billion in electricity infrastructure simply to facilitate those wind farms, and that is the problem. Even if the communities accepted them and there was a dividend that put a few euro into the local community, we are still going to carry the cost of that. The €4.2 billion investment will be passed on to electricity consumers by Airtricity and the electricity companies. We have far better, more cost-effective options that can generate sustainable industries in rural Ireland as well. It would make far more sense to look at developing that rather than looking for ways to appease communities to get them to accept wind power.

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