Joanne Collins (Sinn Fein)

I want to raise the issue of wind farms, most particularly in County Limerick. There are two action groups: Coolcappagh action group and the Bruff–Dromin–Athlacca action group. They are both in the process of putting in submissions to stop major wind farms from being located in their areas. There has been very little consultation with the communities on these wind farms. They are dividing communities. A landowner may be willing to give up their land for a massive wind farm near a community that does not want it. There are arguments at school gates and people not turning up for kids' parties because there is a complete divide in the community. Shannon Foynes Port Company has an amazing strategy and plan for offshore wind generation in the estuary to the extent that it would generate electricity for the entire island of Ireland and be a huge exporter of energy at the same time. If we could have the designated maritime area plans for this produced as soon as possible, it would mean the communities would not be fighting among themselves because of the massive wind farms proposed. It is not just about where wind farms go but also about future planning applications in the relevant areas. Rural Ireland will be decimated if we keep putting wind farms in areas where planning permission could be sought in the future.If a wind farm goes in and, two or three years down the line, people want to get planning permission to build on their parents' land, they will now be too close to a windmill and will not get permission. It will completely turn people off living in rural Ireland. I would like to see the report that was done and the new guidelines the Government have been sitting on for what feels like years. It has probably only been a year and a half but it feels like we have been calling for this for a long time. We need to see the new guidelines and have them published for the public and developers to see because if a developer puts in these 158 m turbines and the new guidelines say they cannot be that high, no developer will pull them out to put in new ones. I would like a debate in the House, although I would prefer these guidelines to be published as soon as possible.