Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent Ireland Party)

My question concerns the health implications of wind farms. My journey regarding the health implications of wind farms started in Coolcappa over two years ago. Recently we had meetings in Bruff, Dromin, Athlacca and Bruree about wind turbines and how local authorities have no input into wind turbines. They are now considered to be strategic infrastructure, which means they go straight to An Bord Pleanála.

There is an influx of applications for wind farms across the country. Wind energy guidelines were produced in 2006. In June 2013, Deputy Micheál Martin stood in front of Enda Kenny here and told him that the health implications of wind turbines are real. The guidelines were upgraded in 2019 but we are awaiting the guidelines around wind turbines. We are talking about health. Do the Members in this Chamber know that if a wind turbine goes into their area, and I have nothing against the landowners who are putting up wind turbines because they are entitled to do so and I ask people not to go after them, the contract states that they can place them wherever they like within their farms? This could be within 2 or 3 metres of someone's house where there is shadow flicker. They can also be placed near a school. The World Health Organization, WHO, said it should be 1 metre for every 10 but in Ireland, it is 1 metre for every 4. If an application for a wind turbine is successful and if someone wants to build a house within 3 km of a wind turbine, the wind turbine owners can object. What are their objections? They are that these wind turbines may cause shadow flicker. This is what they are telling people will happen within a 5 km radius and are using this to object to houses. A person building a house also has sign up to not objecting to anything on environmental grounds for ten years of the contract. On one hand, the developers are telling people that there will be shadow flicker if they build a house but on the other hand, they are telling them there is no shadow flicker if they build them close to their houses. When will the guidelines eventually be published? The Tánaiste has met the people so now I need to know.

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