Seanad debates

Thursday, 12 December 2013

10:40 am

Photo of John WhelanJohn Whelan (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I second Senator John Kelly's proposal. At the earliest juncture, the relevant Minister, be it the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Phil Hogan, or the Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, should be invited to the House to discuss, as a matter of urgency, the so-called new planning guidelines for wind turbines. I do not know how we can call them new draft regulations because the setback distance began at 500 m and is still 500 m. It was not that we did not gain a metre but that we did not gain an inch. It is no wonder communities around the country are questioning the point of engaging in the consultation process when there seems to be a loaded dice and a stacked deck before it starts. It is clear to me now that the wind energy lobby, the wind energy project developers, have won round one. However, I have a message for them and anyone else who is going to push the case: this is going to go 15 rounds and the people will not be defied in this matter. Putting a 200 m turbine 500 m from someone's house is just not tolerable and will not be accepted. As Senator John Kelly said, this is not a local or midlands issue but a national one. The consequences of the proposed travesty, that is, the erection of 2,500 giant turbines, 4,000 pylons and 800 km of power lines to facilitate the exportation of wind energy, are considerable. Those responsible are going to turn the country into a pincushion for pylons and turbines. They are going to turn it into an offshore wind farm for the United Kingdom. Of course, we must have wind farms and renewable energy sources, but we must look past tomorrow. This is not just about a few loads of readymix and saying this amounts to real jobs. We went down that road once before and saw what happened to the country. This is not an economic or environmental proposition and it is not socially acceptable. We must have a plan that works for the economy and communities. We need an urgent debate on this issue. As Senator John Kelly said, we require political intervention at the highest level to change course, strategy and policy. The people will rebel against what is happening and it will not be accepted.

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