John Whelan (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I accept that and thank the Minister for his reply. However, he has not addressed the core issues raised in my questions. I am familiar with our responsibilities in regard to renewable energy. The wind industry has the leg, arm and ear of this Government, as it did with the previous Government. It is the favoured child, to the extent of neglecting the potential of the bio-energy sector. However, the question I raised this morning was whether policy is sufficiently informed by the latest scientific research from Australia, Canada and the World Health Organisation in regard to the intrusive and potentially damaging chronic nuisance and health impacts of noise from wind turbines for those who live in close proximity to large scale wind developments. The Minister made no reference to that issue in his reply. While I accept that it is primarily a matter for the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, it would be absurd to suggest that the Department of Health or the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources should not also be involved in the preparation of these guidelines.