Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Recently, the UN report on climate change warned that we have approximately 12 years to limit catastrophe yet the Government continues to purchase diesel buses for public transport and it has yet to publish the wind energy guidelines and the solar farm guidelines. This is indicative of a Government that is neglecting this issue.

In a press release on Tuesday, 13 June 2017, the Tánaiste published the Review of Wind Energy Development Guidelines 2006: Summary of the Key Aspects of the Preferred Draft Approach, which concludes: "I envisage following the completion of the SEA process, the new statutory Guidelines will be finalized and issued to planning authorities in Q1 2018”, Minister Coveney concluded." We are far from the first quarter of 2018 and no guidelines have been issued. This forms a key part of alternative energy for our country and communities need certainty and consultation. Will the Tánaiste tell the House today where stands the wind energy guidelines which he promised would be published in the first quarter of 2018?

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