John Kelly (Labour) | Oireachtas source

Many articles have appeared in the British Medical Journal suggesting there are health implications such as nausea, sleep deprivation and even cancer and heart attacks, arising from living too close to wind turbines. Although the Irish Wind Energy Association is a large lobby group, it is not able to counter these articles. Has Ms Childers heard any other debates in other EU member states on wind farm developments and energy? In the UK, they have decided they have enough of them and are asking us to erect them in our country for the provision of their power to destroy our landscape. When I met the Finnish ambassador several months ago, I told him of the problems we are having with wind farm developments too close to people's homes. Finnish policy, he explained, is that if people do not want them, the authorities do not force them on people. That is not the practice in this country. It is the Government's policy to reach certain targets and many of these farms are foisted on people.