Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this important debate and I thank Deputy Stanley for initiating a debate in the House on this issue. All of us who represent rural communities will be familiar with the concerns of our constituents in many parts of the country who have had in their view a negative experience with infrastructure such as wind turbines. While the Deputy and I share their concerns, in many ways we differ on how they should be resolved. Support for the Bill will not bring about the kind of resolution that is required.

Fianna Fáil opposes the Bill for a number of reasons, all of which centre on the interests of the people. In the first instance, the provisions of the Bill would effectively stop any further developments of wind turbines in Ireland due to the extreme restrictions proposed. Second, this Bill entirely circumvents the consultation that has been opened on the wind energy guidelines, a draft of which was published in June 2017. My party and I are strongly of the view that this consultation gives everybody an opportunity to have their say and, ultimately and collectively, we can find an appropriate solution that meets the needs of all sides rather than rushing to a conclusion through the passage of this legislation, which would not be in the long-term best interests of our objectives in renewable energy while, at the same time, ensuring the needs and expectations of people living in rural areas who want to enjoy that amenity are also protected. We recognise and sympathise with the considerable issues that irresponsible wind development has caused for people in recent decades, and it is crucial that we conduct a full and exhaustive consultation to protect communities from further encroachment. To this end, we will fully engage with the consultation process that has been put in place, and ensure public consultation is to the fore of any legislation and guidelines that are put in place.

By contrast, simply overriding existing consultative structures would deny people an opportunity to shape wind energy policy. That is my only concern about the passage of Deputy Stanley's Bill. It would bring to an end to the consultation process. This process, however, can only be of immense benefit. He is entirely well-intentioned. I sit on the environment committee with him and I am aware of his personal desires and of his vast experience in this area but we have to ensure there is not a populist race to see who can appear to be most tune with where people are at. I do not suggest that is the case with him. He mentioned in his contribution that the Government proposed a set back distance four times the current distance while Fianna Fáil in the past suggested six times whereas he is suggesting ten times. We have to be careful that we are not just looking for headlines using soundbites in a manner that will meet the needs of those who are most concerned about a project in a particular area. I am party spokesperson in this area and the Acting Chairman, Deputy Eugene Murphy, has reflected to me on many occasions on behalf of his constituents the concerns they have around the wind farm in Sliabh Bawn, County Roscommon, and the necessity to tackle issues that arise there. In attempting to resolve those extreme cases-----

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