Michelle Mulherin (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 128: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if his attention has been drawn to the fact that Mayo County Council passed a unanimous resolution calling on semi-State companies in possession of data relating to our natural resources to disclose that information; his views that openness and transparency should be standard practice in projects that seek to develop our natural resources and that semi-State companies which are more than 90% owned by the citizens of this country have a special responsibility in this regard; if he will write to the boards of Bord na Móna and the ESB asking that they disclose the wind resource data for their wind farm project at Bellacorick, a few miles from the Shell terminal, which is to be built on lands acquired from the local community, by compulsory purchase order in some cases, for the purposes of cutting turf and if he will ask the boards to publish their proposals for community funds in relation to their wind farm projects as is best practice in most EU States. [16811/11]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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All wind farms developed in Ireland are required to comply with all relevant planning and environmental legislation and to obtain all necessary licences and authorisations prior to full commercial operation. The issues raised by the Deputy relate to the commercial mandate and day to day operational functions of Bord Na Móna and ESB and is not a matter in which I have a function. I have been advised by Bord na Móna that all rights, title and interests over the lands in question were purchased between 1959 and 1973.