James Bannon (Fine Gael)

I welcome this amendment which brings greater clarity to the Bill. The deletion of lines 20 to 29 and the substitution of this by three lines has tidied up this section of the legislation. There is much to be welcomed in the Bill and the list of projects to be fast-tracked is most impressive. Projects relating to transport infrastructure and the road network must be advanced. The Minister referred to electricity pylons, gas pipelines, etc. This important infrastructure is vital to towns across the midlands, especially in my local town of Longford. We were hard done by in the past when a plan was in place to bring the gas pipeline via Longford but some ministerial interference brought it in a different direction, via Clara in County Offaly. While I will not name the Minister I have done so in the past at public meetings in my own county.

The Bill allows for the streamlining of the planning process for key infrastructural projects such as those for the harnessing of wind power for energy production in wind farms. Farmers have been encouraged to diversify into this area. Provision has been made in the Bill to fast-track the installation of proposed development of more than 50 turbines, or spinners as we call them locally. I have tabled an amendment to reduce this figure because not everyone may be able to afford to develop a wind farm of the dimensions outlined.