Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I think it is particularly apt that the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, is here, given his strong credentials in relation to the environment. I too recognise what Senator Higgins has spoken about in respect of the Aarhus Convention and the right of citizens to engage on environmental issues. I am always talking about it in the House. However, and I do not like using the expression, but we are where we are. Senators Craughwell and McDowell made the point that Derrybrien has been constructed and it is there. It is questionable but its removal may cause even more environmental damage. At the same time, there is an energy crisis, and there is potential for it to be used. I am mindful that I went to see the site myself and I want to acknowledge the enormous work that Councillor Geraldine Donohue and her colleagues on Galway County Council have done. They are deeply concerned and have had extensive debate on this issue. I always like to apply subsidiarity, go to the ground and meet the people there and the public representatives on Galway County Council. You hear another story that way and you hear rational and reasonable explanations of the potential of it. It has been a difficult issue and people and their opinions and views on Derrybrien have evolved over time The common theme is that, regrettably, we are where we are. Mistakes have been made that should not have happened and it is important that we acknowledge that but we are where we are. It has the potential for an amazing set of biodiversity. It has fauna, plants and life and things have started to develop and grow there and it is an amazing space. I do not know if the Minister of State has been to Derrybrien but I would recommend anyone to go there and see how the land has a great ability to rehabilitate and revegetate itself, which has happened down there.

I signed up to this with my colleagues and we are fiercely committed to it. It is not unreasonable for us to talk about an independent review and I do not see why the Minister of State would have a difficulty with that. It is independent of us and of politics and would be conducted by experts in the various fields on the environmental, financial and community impacts, which is really important, to see what we can do. Ludicrous and crazy fines have been paid and there has been long and protracted litigation with all sorts of expenses. If we were to start all over again we would say it should not have happened but we are where we are. The right course of action is to look at an independent assessment of the environmental impact as well as the financial impact. Whether we like it or not there have to be financial implications to these things too and they have been a huge part of the problem already. More importantly, there has been a community impact and that independent review and assessment of audit can be carried out in some sort of meaningful engagement with people because that is critically important and I am constantly arguing in here for the need for public participation in planning and the environment.

I know the Minister of State is fiercely committed to that too but I am also aware of his enormous commitment to alternative energy and to meeting our targets by 2030. We have the potential and - dare I say - the seed of something great. Maybe it came about in the wrong way but let us stand back and let us not make crazy, mad decisions. The people of Galway do not want that, and the more people learn and understand what Derrybrien is, the more they believe this is the right thing to do. For that reason I join with my colleagues in proposing this amendment because it is the right thing to do and it is not something we jumped into lightly. I want to again acknowledge the councillors on Galway County Council who engaged with and communicated with us and who expressed their views on Derrybrien.