Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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29. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the precautions in place to prevent industrial wind turbines collapsing. [3931/15]

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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This is not a matter in which I, as Minister, have a statutory role or function.

I am advised that wind turbines come within the scope of the EU Machinery Directive. The European Communities (Machinery) Regulations, 2008 transposed the EU Machinery Directive which is a "New Approach" Directive into Irish law. The New Approach legislative technique was approved by the Council of Ministers on 7 May 1985 in its Resolution on a new approach to technical harmonisation and standards. The overall objective of the EU Machinery Directive is the harmonisation of the essential health and safety requirements across the European Union. The aim is to promote the free movement of machinery across the single market while guaranteeing a high level of health and safety protection to workers and citizens.

Under the New Approach, each EU Member State must appoint one or more Notified Bodies to supervise the inspection, testing and certification of products that require CE Marking (Conformité Européene, i.e. European Conformity). The National Standards Authority of Ireland is the notified body in Ireland.

CE marking is mandatory for products covered by the scope of the New Approach Directives. The Directives establish whether the conformity assessment may be performed by the manufacturer itself or if assessment by a notified body is required. CE marking requires that the product is assessed before being placed on the marketand thus satisfies the legislative requirements (e.g. a harmonised level of safety). It means that the manufacturer or a notified conformity assessment body has verified that the product, in this case a wind turbine, complies with all relevant essential requirements including health and safety requirements of the applicable directives.

In addition, the Health and Safety Authority is the agency with responsibility for workplace safety under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005. It should be noted, however, that a ‘place of work’ as described in that Act would only cover wind turbines during their construction or during any maintenance that might need to be undertaken thereafter. Specific concerns regarding non-compliant wind turbines, placed on the Irish market, can be directed to the Health and Safety Authority, which is the competent authority for the regulations.