John Kelly (Labour) | Oireachtas source

The community in Ballingeary, County Cork, like the community in Dysart, County Roscommon, has had to take a High Court challenge to a decision by An Bord Pleanála to grant a wind farm development. The local community won in both cases. It was ruled that a company cannot get planning permission for a wind farm development without knowing how it will access the grid. The company in this case was banking on using the Grid Link project to connect to the grid in the future. I raise this particularly because it seems that a proliferation of wind farm developments is proposed for County Mayo. The Grid West project has not yet been sanctioned. There are serious questions about whether it will go ahead. The ESB needs to ask serious questions about whether it is needed. I have previously called for a serious debate on wind energy in this House. I have to say that on this occasion, as in the Dysart case, An Bord Pleanála has been found out. I am calling on the Leader of the House to arrange a debate as soon as possible after we resume in January on the need for wind energy projects.