Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Ba mhaith liom tagairt a dhéanamh ar maidin faoi chinneadh An Bord Pleanála an tseachtain seo caite i dtaca le feirm mhuileann gaoithe i nDún na nGall. Dhiúltaigh An Bord Pleanála cead pleanála a chur ar fáil don fheirm mhuileann gaoithe sin, tar éis do Chomairle Chontae Dhún na gGall cinneadh a dhéanamh tacaíocht a thabhairt don togra sin. This relates to the debate we had in the House on wind energy, and the decision of An Bord Pleanála must be welcomed. There are multinational companies trying to develop wind turbines and local authorities are being forced to give planning permission for them because they want the revenue source, although it is not technically the right thing to do under planning law. That has been underlined in Donegal in the past week, as An Bord Pleanála overturned the decision of Donegal County Council to grant planning to 25 wind turbines that would be 64 m high.

This underlines the fact that the relevant Bill, spoken about by Senator Kelly and others, needs to be progressed by the Government. There should be no further planning approvals granted within the State to any wind turbine application until the Oireachtas updates guidelines. Why should the views of communities on a natural resource be ignored for multi-millionaire developers? It is an absolute disgrace and the Government is standing idly by in allowing it to happen.

The abortion Bill will be debated this morning. It is deeply regretable that the Government is using the smokescreen of Seanad abolition or reform as a means to evade the opportunity to give the people a real look at what is contained in the legislation.