John Whelan (Labour) | Oireachtas source

Never before have I come across an issue so divisive as the prospect of the development of joint industrial wind farms across the country from Mayo to Laois and in every county in between. We thought we had some respite on reading newspaper reports on Friday that the intergovernmental agreement on which these industrial wind farms were predicated had fallen through, but it has led only to greater anxiety and distress. Families are having feuds, neighbours are not talking to each other and communities are split down the middle. That is wrong and it need not happen.

We can produce renewable energy on a sustainable and socially acceptable basis for our own needs and to create jobs and a secure energy supply with a proper and balanced portfolio. However, what we were told and guaranteed by the Department, Minister, developers and State agencies was that if there was no agreement with the United Kingdom, these wind farms would collapse and evaporate.