Louis O'Hara (Galway East, Sinn Fein)

In general, yes. All these projects are very divisive. They are all being led by private investors that are only interested in extracting a profit from local resources and are not interested in the communities around them. The public consultations on these projects are nothing more than box-ticking exercises. There is no input from communities and many large-scale projects are in close proximity to residential areas. Everybody understands the critical need for energy security but this developer- and profit-led approach needs to change. Communities need to have real input and, ultimately, ownership of these projects. I ask the Taoiseach to look into the projects outlined and ensure there is real community consultation and guidelines where projects should be located.

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