Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As regards the energy White Paper and all the possible renewables, how far down the line are solar panels and how integrated is solar panel farming? There is currently only one such unit on the island of Ireland, which is in County Down, although there is planning permission for a number of others throughout the country. How integrated is that process?

Last week, I asked about the status of guidelines on wind energy from the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. The former Department was committed to having those new guidelines in place in the summer of 2014, but it is now winter 2015 and there is no trace of them. Has the energy White Paper taken community consensus into account?

How satisfied is the Minister with the information coming from various stakeholders, given that EirGrid got it so badly wrong in terms of pylons and the Grid West and Grid Link projects? Last week at the committee meeting they completely backtracked after putting the fear of God into communities the length and breadth of the country. I would like to hear the Minister's comments on those three issues.

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