Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this issue and I thank the Minister for coming to the House to take part in the debate. It is an important issue not just for my constituency, but also for the midlands and the country at large. We are all aware that the Minister signed a memorandum of understanding with his UK counterpart in January and two private companies are actively engaging with landowners regarding potential leases for the erection of wind turbines in the midlands. Mr. O'Connor of Mainstream Renewable Power was quoted in the Financial Times in January as saying, "We have already signed up hundreds of landowners across the Irish midlands and will create the largest wind farm in Europe." While I acknowledge landowners are entitled to engage with whomever they want regarding what they want to do on the land, the proposed wind farm will affect entire communities across the midlands which are not being consulted. There is widespread concern and anxiety among these communities. Given that the scale of the development will mean that any potential application will need to go directly to An Bord Pleanála, does the Minister not believe we need something more than non-binding wind energy guidelines to influence a decision?

I accept that Ireland has a legal obligation to meet under the EU directive 2009/28/EC. In an ever-evolving world we should continually enhance regulations and legislation to ensure sustainable development which will not be detrimental to our communities. This is a national issue and it warrants a national strategy on renewable energy. The Government should introduce a moratorium on any future development until such a strategy is introduced. The national strategy should encompass all renewable energy sources - wind, biomass, solar, etc. There should be consultation with the various industries, the local community groups, environmental groups and the various Departments. Such a strategy could then inform the Government and take into account competing interests.

The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport and Communications could be charged with formulating such a strategy. It should look at various countries where best practice exists. We should introduce a moratorium until the guidelines are reviewed, amended and put on a statutory footing. These guidelines should deal with issues such as ensuring communities are aware of potential planning applications and that proper comprehensive public consultation is carried out. The distance between the residence and any proposed turbine should reflect the height of the turbine. Environmental impact assessments need to be carried out. We need scientific studies on noise, flicker and shadowing. We need to use the most up-to-date research from the World Health Organization to ensure that no potential development will have a detrimental effect on people's health. We also need to ensure our targets are met under the EU directive before we start exporting excess energy.

I ask the Minister to facilitate my request, which comes not only from me. Various other Oireachtas Members and members of the Minister's party at local level are calling on him to introduce a moratorium. They are calling on him to introduce a national strategy to deal with the issue. They are calling on him to ensure the guidelines are revised and put on a statutory basis to ensure we have sustainable development into the future and that such development will not have a detrimental impact on communities. I again thank the Minister for coming in to take this debate.

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. The more it is ventilated, the better. He is absolutely right that several colleagues in the House have been in touch with me about this issue, perhaps in some cases prompted by some of the more garish headlines the issue attracts. I entirely accept that communities have some concerns. Deputy Penrose has been with me on a number of occasions in recent months in particular to discuss the issue, following which he drafted a Private Members' Bill. I met a number of Senators, including Senator Kelly, on the same issue. The more we examine this, the harder I find it to see how we could enshrine in primary legislation the kinds of precise planning requirements Deputy Troy advocates. The expert advice available to me is that it is virtually impossible to exploit what is an indigenous renewable resource in this country to generate energy and perhaps to help us create a significant export sector if we were to enshrine planning obligations in primary legislation.

Therefore, arising from the discussions within my party, with Deputy Penrose in particular but also with Senator Kelly, the Minister of State with responsibility for housing and planning, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, engaged in the public consultation to elicit public response as to how the guidelines put in place in 2006 might be finessed or improved as appropriate. She has had a significant response to that public consultation and is teasing through it at the moment. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, which comes under the auspices of my Department, is carrying out a study on other aspects to which the Deputy has just referred. The Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, will take that into account when she reaches decision stage on the issue.

I do not know, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle, whether it is permissible that the script I have here might be read into the record. In any event I would be happy to make it available to the Deputy. It sets out the progress that has been made in recent years where 1,250 turbines on 150 wind farms across 22 counties have been a commissioned with a capacity of 1,738 MW. The Deputy is right in saying that our first obligation is to meet our mandatory targets. We are certainly intent on doing that and we believe we can do it. In any event it would not be possible to generate an export market in green energy unless we can ensure that we can meet our own targets - I believe we will meet those targets.

I have published a strategy on the area and have provided other guidance last year. The best practice wind energy guidelines published in 2006 are now being reviewed. Taken together with the Government policy statement on the strategic importance of transmission and other energy infrastructure, which I published in 2012, this emphasises the importance of public and local community acceptance; adherence to national and international standards in designing and constructing energy networks and infrastructure; early consultation and engagement with local communities; and building community gain considerations into energy infrastructure planning and budgeting. I deliberately put those principles onto the record of the House because it is important that they are adhered to. Consultation and engagement with local communities and building into the arrangements provision for community benefit are very important.

I would be concerned if local communities were provoked to overreaction and over-concern by some of the wilder reaches of rhetoric promoted by some. I do not mean elected representatives.

Seán Kenny (Dublin North East, Labour)
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The Minister is over his time.

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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This would be an overreaction to what is actually happening. We have 200,000 acres of cutaway bog not too far from Deputy Troy. For many years Bord na Mona has been considering what to do with this after its primary business expires. This is a big piece of the jigsaw which might well be taken into account.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister for his reply. He already alluded to the fact that members of his political party have drafted legislation relating to the governance of this issue and they are obviously at variance with the Minister's opinion on the need for legislation. I find it amazing that if one were to add an extension to the back of one's house of 40 sq. m or more one must adhere to primary legislation on planning permission so I do not see the big issue with regard to introducing legislation on the governance of industrial wind farms in our area.

The Minister also spoke about cutaway bogs and I am happy to hear him do so. However, this does not remove the fact that Mr. O'Connor, one of the directors of the company seeking to develop wind energy in the midlands, has stated he has already signed up hundreds of land owners throughout the midlands and will create the largest wind farm in Europe. The Minister stated we do not have an issue with meeting our own targets, but this contradicts what he stated on 16 October 2012 in reply to a parliamentary question. He stated that at the end of 2011 we were at 17.6% renewable electricity, 3.6% renewable transport biofuels and 5% renewable heat, which together meant 6.5% of all energy consumed in 2011 was from renewables, and that we had another eight years in which to achieve the remaining 9.5%, which would be very challenging. These were the Minister's words.

I am glad the Minister recognises there is genuine concern in the communities where the proposed development will take place. Will he consider introducing a moratorium until these concerns are allayed and the guidelines are reviewed? Only two short weeks were given for the consultation process and the review of the guidelines. One is given five weeks to make a submission with regard to a local planning application but only two weeks were provided for an issue of such national importance. The Minister is a member of Government and has the opportunity to dictate the schedule. At the very minimum will he ensure we have a proper debate in the House on the renewable energy sector?

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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What I stated in October is probably accurately quoted by Deputy Troy, and I am very glad to say I was aiming those remarks at certain players at the time and that logjams which had existed, particularly in connection to regulatory matters in the context of the all-island market, have since been happily concluded and now we are getting on with the business. Today I state to the Deputy I believe we will comfortably meet our targets.

With regard to a moratorium, the last thing the country needs at present is a moratorium on the creation of jobs. We have an unconscionably high number of people on the live register. At another time we could debate the historical reasons this is the case, but it is the case. Here we have an indigenous resource and the capacity to generate more energy than required for domestic demand. The neighbouring island is in need of energy, and in need of green energy to help meet its mandatory targets. It seems if we have the capacity to generate excess energy and there is a market for it on the neighbouring island, it is as old as trading cattle between the two islands that we should develop trade in this area. In the context of the need to put 250,000 people back to work the last thing we need is a moratorium.

I invite the Deputy to submit his concerns and suggestions to the ongoing planning consultation. It will go to consultation again as soon as proposals are ready from the Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan. I want to be very sensitive about unreasonable intrusion in the lives of local communities or any local householder and great care needs to be taken. I do not want to make any political point about some of the complaints about the construction of turbines when the Deputy's own party was in office. It may very well have happened if I were in office also-----

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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It is about getting it right in the future. We must learn from our mistakes.

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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-----but some of the complaints which are being raised-----

Seán Kenny (Dublin North East, Labour)
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The Minister is over time.

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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-----are historical and not about the contemplated export project which I am dealing with.