2025-11-27

On a point of order, where are the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Browne, and the Minister for the environment, Deputy O’Brien? Neither of them is in the Chamber. That is no disrespect to the Minister of State, Deputy Smyth, who is here and is fielding a lot of issues. It is disrespectful to the Chamber that neither Minister is here for an issue as important as this, but that is where we are at. I wanted to express that.

I ask the Deputy to move the Bill.

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time". The absence of guidelines or regulations for wind turbines is absolutely scandalous. We have been relying on outdated guidelines from 2006 for over a decade and a half. The Bill is about putting a proper planning framework in place. It is not about stopping the utilisation of wind but having wind turbines in the right place and at the right scale. Four governments have come and gone. We are on government No. 5 and no action has been taken. We have had paralysis by the Government on this issue for over a decade and a half. This is what Micheál Martin said on the matter in the Dáil in 2013: There is a fundamental absence of transparency governing these developments. There is an absence of consultation with local residents and communities. [He said this was a scandal] Above all, there is an absence of a legislative framework to deal with the step change in technology and scale of development. He cited concerns about the health impacts of shadow flicker, noise, and so on. I could keep quoting from his speech from that day, but that is what he said. The replies I am getting here for 13 years are the very same. The most recent one I got from the Minister stated that his "Department is currently undertaking a focused review of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines", which is looking at a number of key issues including the noise aspect of the guidelines, which is highly technical in nature. That is the same reply I have been getting for the last 12 years. Meanwhile, these giant turbines have sprung up all over the country, particularly in the midlands and especially in Laois and Offaly. They cover huge tracts of land and their scale has massively increased since the 2006 guidelines were put in place. At that stage, turbines were 30 m or 35 m in height but they are now multiples of that and reach 185 m in height. Some are located only metres from rural homes. They are mainly owned and directed by large foreign investment funds, which are riding roughshod over local communities. Where they meet opposition, they will often bribe or try to bribe a section of the community and use their clout to browbeat the remainder of the community. They are taking advantage of the absence of regulations or even guidelines. They behave as if it is the gold rush and grab the opportunity. Of course they are going to do that. This is a huge problem for rural communities. I mentioned Laois and Offaly in particular. At the moment, a huge number of wind turbines are planned right across the area of the south Laois-Kilkenny border. These turbines can be put up in close proximity. People have to put up with the noise, shadow flicker and the sterilisation of surrounding lands. Once the wind turbines are erected, even on their own land a son or daughter cannot get planning permission to build on the family farm because of the proximity of the turbines. Along with inaction from the Department and the Department of local government, all three of the largest parties have sat on their hands. While the Government has been in a state of paralysis, the largest Opposition party has not moved on it either. When I tried to introduce a similar Bill nearly five years ago, time was allocated on a Wednesday, but it was stopped at that time by the leader of that party. I hope Sinn Féin is able to do better than that today. I hope they can support this Bill. I was told at the time that it was due to the fear of media reaction. It is the people who elect us, not the media and they are who we need to represent. The Irish Wind Energy Association, which represents wealthy investors, has done an excellent job. The association is regularly in and out of these buildings. The propaganda is all persuasive until we dig deeper. A lot of people seem to be taken in by it. Planning is a balance. As I said at the outset, this is not about stopping it; it is about having a balance in the planning system which is not there at the moment. Many constituents have asked me who exactly is in charge. That is an interesting question. Wind energy is important, but we must use utilise it along with other renewable sources. The Government has focused almost exclusively on wind. While it is a good source of clean energy, it is intermittent. That can lead to surges on the grid when there is plenty of wind and turbines have to be shut down. More than 10% of electricity is unused but it has to be paid for and the cost amounts to billions. If we look at the figures for what has been paid over the last five years, it was €263 million in 2021 and last year it was €251 million. It is a sizeable amount of money that is being paid out. Little effort has been made to develop solar, anaerobic digestion, hydro, hydrogen, or offshore energy. They are only in their infancy, and some have not even started. Regulation for solar energy is being drafted and while that needs to be done, what is happening in terms of wind turbines? At times we were told that the delay in the guidelines or regulations is due to difficulty sorting out the appropriate level of noise to be allowed, but it has been a full decade and a half. In terms of Ministers, I remember debating this with Phil Hogan in this Chamber, and Alan Kelly, Denis Naughten, Richard Bruton, Eamon Ryan and now Darragh O'Brien. Six Ministers have come and gone and we are on the fifth government and still there are no guidelines. This is inexcusable. It is fine if people want to amend the Wind Turbine Regulation Bill 2025 that I am bringing forward. I am not saying it is exactly what we need, but a good bit of work has gone into it and it would certainly put some shape on this and go a long way towards what we need. Section 3 deals with the location of wind turbines. It must be consistent with local county development plans. Despite what Ministers say, that is not happening at the moment. Wind turbines are being put in areas that are not designated under county development plans. Indeed, these companies are riding roughshod over the county development plans. That must happen because as Members know, those plans are made by democratically elected local councillors and it is important that local democracy is upheld. Section 4 sets out in detail the need for public consultation and a number of measures to be taken in terms of public notices, providing for a non-technical assessment to be made available, the potential impact of the proposed construction on the host community, the measures to prevent and to reduce that effect, the length of time of the construction and the planning gain for the local community. Section 4 sets out in great detail that there must be greater consultation. Section 5 deals with noise and shadow flicker. This is very important because we know it is a real problem. At the moment there are houses where shadow flicker passes over them. This is unfair to residents. The Bill clearly sets out that they need to be located far enough from dwellings but that is not happening. We must protect the residents. Section 6 specifies that any turbine over 30 m in height can only be located a distance of not less than 7.5 times the height of the turbine. It is really important that we set that down because that is not being complied with in any way at the moment. It is really important that what is outlined in section 6 is put in place. Section 7 deals with transitional matters in terms of the duties of planning authorities. It sets out their responsibilities, including An Coimisiún Pleanála. Section 8 sets out penalties that can be set by the Minister. That is important. The Minister would do that by way of statutory instrument, in terms of setting the level of responsibility. Section 9 sets out that companies must provide financial evidence in terms of being able to put up bonds. Section 10 deals with responsibility for decommissioning. Very importantly, section 11 provides for co-ownership. Wind turbine developers shall provide an opportunity for local residents to purchase up to a 10% stake in wind turbine developments as part of a community co-operative model of wind turbine. The initial development has to be offered to residents who live within a 4 km radius of the turbines. After that, they can be offered to people outside that radius. It is really important that it happens. The Bill provides for a number of measures to give people the necessary protections. I will deal first with the noise issue. The World Health Organization, WHO, has guidelines on international best practice. This is the crux of the matter and what is holding things up. In 2017 we had the launch of the preferred draft approach. In 2020, the Government set a target that 40% of renewable energy would come from onshore wind. That is very doable. We could probably do even more than that. In 2021, the Government doubled that to 80% and stated that 80% of all renewable energy would come from onshore wind. That is not doable and it would require standing proper planning on its head. That is what is happening. The casualty there has been the noise limits set by the World Health Organization, WHO, which have been shredded. They could not be allowed to get in the way of totally unrealistic targets. If we were in any doubt about this, we have a letter here from the HSE that set this out very clearly to the Minister of State, Deputy Niall Collins, on 20 November 2025. The letter sets out very clearly what it means. I also have an exchange of letters between the then Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O’Brien, and the then Minister for the environment, former Deputy Eamon Ryan. In a letter of 18 November 2021, it is stated that these noise limits, the WHO ones, were agreed in the context of 2020 targets to generate 40% of electricity from renewable sources. It went on to say that as in so many other cases of public policy, the current context was fundamentally altered in the light of our ambitious targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 51%, which we all support, over a period from 2018 to 2020. It further set out that to achieve this, the greenhouse gas emissions reductions target we have through the national development plan set out a quota to generate 80% of our electricity from renewable sources. This means that because we have not developed the other sources I mentioned earlier, we are relying almost totally on onshore wind. The correspondence continues by stating that to achieve this target, the 2021 climate action plan set an indicative target of 8 GW for onshore energy by 2030, and that it had to be doubled. This is the crux of what is going on here. The Government and senior officials in the Department have been hopping from one foot to the other for the last 14 or 15 years on this issue, but particularly in the last five years. Deputies from the Government benches need to take this on board. We have to make a decision on it. When there are no guidelines, never mind regulations, these companies behave as if it is a gold rush. If we have a situation where no system is in place, then anything goes. What is there at the moment is as weak as dishwater. Do not let anyone ever tell you anything else. These companies, their solicitors, their planning experts and all the consultants they have hired are on top of this game. There is big money in this and big investment firms behind it. Bord na Móna has been somewhat better in taking the concerns of local communities into consideration. Some people might dispute it, but that has been my experience. Deputy Nolan might have a different experience in County Offaly, where some may not have been happy with it. Generally, though, Bord na Móna works better with local communities. This Bill is what we need to do. If we do not have legislation, we need to put a moratorium on developments until we do have proper legislation, regulations and guidelines in place. I appeal to the Minister of State and the Government to grasp the nettle on this issue once and for all and stop chasing something it cannot do, namely, providing 80% of renewable energy through onshore wind. We need to bring on solar power, hydrogen, anaerobic digestion and all the other methods that can be used. The Government will not be able to achieve its aim without getting the backs up of local communities right across the country, including in County Cavan, where the Minister of State lives.

I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "That" and substitute the following: "Dáil Éireann resolves that the Wind Turbine Regulation Bill 2025 be deemed to be read a second time this day twelve months, to allow for further consideration of the Bill.". This is to allow for sufficient time for full consideration of the Bill and for the development of Government proposals before the end of 2026, specifically the finalisation of the national planning statement on wind energy. I thank Deputy Stanley for bringing forward this Private Members’ Bill regarding the regulation of wind turbines. He spoke with passion and a real depth of understanding of the topic itself. This Bill is no doubt well intended and aims to regulate wind energy development by addressing a number of key issues. However, I am this evening proposing a timing amendment as I believe that many of the matters raised in this Bill would be better addressed as part of an ongoing review of the existing 2006 wind energy development guidelines and our intention is to publish a national planning statement on wind energy as part of that process. I am concerned that key provisions set out in the Bill are inconsistent with the State’s energy security objectives, climate obligations and the commitment in the programme for Government to accelerate the delivery of renewable electricity. First, it is necessary to set out the wider context of the issue, which many Deputies here will be more than aware of. The programme for Government has reaffirmed Ireland’s target of 80% of electricity demand to be met by renewables in the near future, with plans to move to a net-zero situation by 2050. The speedy deployment of renewable electricity is our energy insurance policy and the foundation for Ireland’s transition to a low-carbon, sustainable economy. The accelerated delivery of infrastructure is a major Government priority and our renewable energy programme is central to that. Regarding the role of wind, we have a target of 9 GW of installed capacity provided for in the climate action plan and the national planning framework to be achieved by 2030. Ireland is a world leader in the deployment of wind energy, and its integration into our grid and the continued delivery of wind energy onshore and offshore is essential to safeguarding energy security and to supply affordable energy to our homes and businesses. Through the accelerated renewable electricity task force and the offshore wind delivery task force, the Government is committed to a strong delivery programme for onshore and offshore renewables and to supporting infrastructure to ensure there is a clean and flexible energy supply that keeps pace with economic growth and meets growing demand for electricity from new homes, the electrification of heat and transport and from large energy users. We are committed to the continued sustainable deployment of onshore wind across our region in line with the allocations set out in the national planning framework and supported by strong community engagement, community benefits and planning guidance through a national planning statement. I will explain the planning context more fully in a moment. As Deputy Stanley and many Members of the House will be aware, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is currently undertaking a focused review of the 2006 wind energy guidelines, which will inform a new national planning statement under the new Planning and Development Act 2024. The review is addressing a number of key aspects of the guidelines, including setback distance, as well as in relation to noise, shadow flicker, community obligation, community dividend and grid connections. The aim of the review is to strike an appropriate balance between addressing the concerns of local communities by ensuring greater and earlier community engagement by wind energy developers while maintaining Ireland’s ability to deliver on its binding climate and renewable energy policy obligations. While the review of the guidelines has been ongoing for a number of years now, which the Deputy eloquently outlined too, significant progress has been made towards concluding the review process. Chapters 1 and 4 of Part 3 of the Planning and Development Act 2024 came into effect on 2 October 2025, which provided the statutory basis for the national planning framework and regional, spatial and economic strategies and introduced provisions for the national planning statement. The national planning statement replaces section 28 planning guidance, which the previous wind energy guidelines issued. Therefore, the revised wind guidelines, once finalised, will issue as a national planning statement under the 2024 Act. Further to this, in light of the evolving policy and legislative framework, there is a need to ensure the national planning statement is fit for purpose while having appropriate regard to the impacts of wind energy development, including in relation to matters raised by Deputy Stanley’s Bill. Since the conclusion of the public consultation in February 2020, work on the technical noise elements of the revised guidelines has caused a delay in their finalisation. Ongoing work in relation to the noise elements of the draft guidelines has necessitated a substantial rewrite of the noise guidance issued for public consultation to both simplify the approach and to present it in a manner that is more easily understood and implemented by developers and planning authorities. In this regard, the Department of housing, in conjunction with the Department of Climate, Energy and Environment, in the context of its environmental noise, climate and renewable energy policy remit, has been working to advance guidance on the noise aspects of the guidelines, which is highly technical in nature. This work is substantially completed. In addition to the work on the noise aspect of the draft national planning statement, the changing and continuously evolving policy and technical context, including the 2024 Act and the revision of the national planning framework, NPF, reinforces the need to ensure that the finalised guidelines, once issued, are fit for purpose. Both of these contain important changes that wind policy must be cognisant of, as well as European obligations such as the renewable energies directive and other environmental considerations. Work is under way to formulate wind guidelines into the draft national planning statement, which will then be environmentally assessed and informed by a public consultation that will inform the final version submitted to Government for approval and implementation across the tiers of the planning system. It is imperative that a robust and up-to-date policy is provided that will take account of the evolving policy and legislative context of the technological progress of the past decades and of the informed decisions of stakeholders and the public itself. To conclude, Ireland currently has over 5 GW in onshore wind generation with a target of 9 GW provided for in the climate action plan and national planning framework by 2030. Meeting our national targets for wind energy will require further integration of renewable technologies in an appropriate manner and in full consultation with local communities. The forthcoming national planning statement, NPS, will provide the processes and policies that provide for appropriate regulation of new wind energy development proposals as well as compliance with existing and future national, EU and international renewable energy policies and targets.

To start, I commend Deputy Stanley for bringing forward this Bill and the huge work that has gone into it so far. The current wind energy guidelines date back to 2006 and in my view, they are, put simply, not fit for purpose. In 2006, wind turbines were 80 m high. Today, in Carlow and Kilkenny, communities are fighting applications against 180 m industrial structures using rules from almost 20 years ago. To put this size in context, it is the equivalent of four Croke Park stadiums stacked on top of each other. Four Croke Parks stacked on top of each other. These are absolutely massive, monstrous structures. It does not make sense to me that the Department is applying rules from 20 years ago to 2025 technology. To put it another way, 20 years ago, there was no such thing as Facebook. It was just after being launched. There was no such thing as Instagram, WhatsApp or TikTok. Technological advancements have rocketed in this time but the wind energy guidelines have stayed static and have not evolved. We cannot lose sight, or ever forget, that communities are at the heart of this. In towns and villages like Kilmanagh, Tullaroan, Ballycallan, Castlewarren, Dungarvan, Castlebanny, Ballynalacken, Ballyfasy, Oldleighlin and Seskin, all in my own constituency, the people of those communities are all seriously worried and concerned. My view is simple: the guidelines must protect families and communities, first, through strictly increased setback distances; second, through noise regulation; and third, through the flicker regulation. Only then can we provide the renewables. We cannot continue to regulate modern monsters with obsolete laws. We need to update them and we need to do it now. This Bill demonstrates that renewable energy can be developed in a way that protects rural Ireland, strengthens public trust and delivers real benefits to those living closest to the turbines. It balances Ireland's climate goals with the rights of communities to fair treatment, meaningful involvement and proper consultation. This Bill is not about stopping wind energy but it is about doing it right. Communities deserve protection, transparency and a fair share of the benefits. Supporting this Bill means supporting rural Ireland, local democracy and responsible renewable development. I am happy to stand with and I fully support communities around the country and in particular, those I have mentioned in my own constituency of Carlow-Kilkenny, who want renewable energy done but want it done fairly and want it done right.

I remind Deputies present that if everybody takes ten minutes - and I know Deputy Cleere has not - we will not get to everybody. I ask Deputies to be mindful of their time. You are entitled to the ten minutes but that might knock someone else out so keep an eye on the time if you can. The next speaker is Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice.

First, I welcome the Bill and I support it. What we heard from the Government side is just the usual palaver. I remember Sinn Féin bringing a Bill forward on the Shannon, to have one body over it. It was kicked down the road for nine months and we never saw it to this day. That is the reality of what is going on here and I think the people out there should understand this. We are after listening to Deputies speak about places right around this country, in Laois or wherever, where people are in trouble with wind turbines. The facts are that unfortunately, when what I call vultures come to an area, some people will make money because they will offer €30,000 or €40,000 for the turbine. Undoubtedly, people will accept it but the consequences of what it is doing to communities around this country are unforgivable. I see it in Clonbern and all parts of County Roscommon, where there are 11 different applications in at the moment. We get calls from all over the country. There is a corridor, you could say, from above Tuam and Belclare right down Lavally, Clonbern, heading to Glenamaddy and heading on. What is it doing? Communities that worked together, put football pitches together and helped elderly people together are being split down the middle. Those are the facts of what is going on in every community around this country. I am here since the end of 2014. I have listened to people say wind guidelines are going to come and come. Let nobody tell me that the Bill that Deputy Brian Stanley put in - I do not know how many years ago it was when he put it in - could not have been looked at since then in order that we would know the types of guidelines, regulations or whatever we are going to do. What we will do now again is say we will have another look at it. The facts are - and people should understand them out there - that the commitment is not in this Dáil to make sure that wind turbines are far enough away from people's houses. I believe in turbines offshore - 100%. There is a huge opportunity but, of course, that opportunity was where the designated maritime area plans, DMAPs, for the west coast were not done, so we cannot kick off the whole process. The former Minister, Eamon Ryan, who was supposed to be a Green Minister, was over it at the time. For four years, those DMAPs were left there and never done. That is the first part of the jigsaw in getting it going. The sad reality is - and let people out there looking in tonight understand - there is only one way you can do it. You have to, as a community, get together, which is a sad thing for a politician to have to say. Unite as a group in your area. You have to put in objections and do you know what? With the way An Bord Pleanála is granting these turbines or wind farms, as they are called, the only solution people have, which is a sad reality, is try to raise money together and try to fight it in the courts. That is some statement coming from people who are supposed to be legislators. We are supposed to be here to listen to the people and to support them but instead of that, we will kick the ball down the road another bit and sure look it, something else will crop up then and we will kick it another bit. It is nearly like that game they play in Kerry where they throw the ball down around bends and sure, we will never find it. Then we have another situation that has developed and is happening in parts of Roscommon. People gave up their bogs to Bord na Móna years ago. Bord na Móna was set up for proper reasons and I have no problem with that. They are going in now and digging up massive areas of bog and are putting up turbines. They do not even want to be talking about how they once used to be at turf or the bog or anything. They are the clean, green company now. The number of turbines they are putting up around the country is phenomenal. In parts of Roscommon, I see some of the crowds that put them up. It is like turning money. They put it up, roll it going for a few years and sell it on. How many of our turbines and wind farms are owned by foreigners at the moment? That is the one thing we need to look at. To people tonight who are looking in, I support the Bill. I ask the Deputy to put it to a vote. Amendments do not wash. The fight will have to go on. The commitment is not there to resolve this issue.

Energy is not just about power; it is about sovereignty, security, just transition, the future we leave to our children and fairness to communities. I come from the county of Kerry, which has 15% of the turbines with only 8% of the land mass. I saw the troubles over the years when what Deputy Fitzmaurice described as vultures came in and there was a lot of division in communities. In Sinn Féin, we stand for ending the rip-off and cutting household energy bills, for delivering true Irish energy independence and not a system that currently prioritises the corporate bottom line over the needs of the people. We want to do it in a different way from the Government. Under successive Governments we have had an energy system that treats energy as a commodity, that is, a product to be bought and sold for profit rather than a public good and that is wrong. Energy is essential for every home, business and community. It should serve the people, not shareholders. We have a clear vision that our vast natural resources should create a national wealth for all. We are fortunate in this country that we have some of the best offshore and onshore wind resources in Europe. That means public and community ownership, proper consultation and fair democratic decision-making. It means reforming the energy market so that Government and regulators hold companies to account, not the other way around. It is a far cry from where we are currently. The Government has failed to plan and to provide the clear rules mentioned so many times by other speakers. A vacuum has been created by its complete dereliction of its duties on wind energy guidelines. As the current guidelines are from 2006, they are nearly 20 years old and in 2013, it was recognised that they were out of date. In 2019, updated guideline were produced but where are they now? They are still sitting on a shelf gathering dust. This is unacceptable to communities that deserve clarity. Wind energy providers also deserve certainty and guidelines to level the playing field. Without them, we have ambiguity, frustration, distrust and division. The Government and its supporters, some of whom were the loudest critics of these delays, cannot continue to leave everyone down. The updated guidelines must be published as soon as possible. To have a level playing field, we need proper rules and clarity. Sinn Féin recognises the uncertainty this situation has created for local communities. I do not think this Bill is the answer. In fairness to Deputy Stanley, he has himself said that he is not saying it is exactly what we need. It could halt the development of renewable energy or risk Irish energy security and could push bills up even higher at a time when Irish households already pay the highest energy prices in Europe. It could also block Ireland's energy independence and damage our ability to cut emissions and meet climate targets. We are committed to a different path that delivers Irish energy independence, cuts costs, reduces emissions and supports fairness for communities. We believe in renewable energy but it must be done right. It must be done democratically and for the people. The first step is the publication of the guidelines. I hope the Ministers will take that back to Cabinet and make sure they are delivered as soon as possible.

It is important to be absolutely clear that a wind farm is no small undertaking. These are vast developments that have an enormous impact on communities and the local environment from the moment construction begins throughout their entire lifetime up to the day they are decommissioned. It is beyond me that for projects of this scale we have no up-to-date regulations or guidelines. Frankly speaking, it is an insult to communities across Ireland that have been left high and dry by the Minister of State and her colleagues. I am talking about communities like Oldleighlin, Castlewarren, Durrow, Kilmanagh, Tullaroan, Ballycallan, Ballyhale, Inistioge, Thomastown, Ballyfasy and many more. These communities have been left to deal with these developments by themselves, all too often at the mercy of a developer whose interest is in profit first and foremost. Sinn Féin's position on this has been clear for years. We believe energy is a public good. It should strengthen our national wealth, not just line the pockets of overseas investors who have little to no regard for our local communities. We are committed to putting communities at the very core of developing wind energy in Ireland, and to ensuring that this area is properly regulated, not left to those seeking profit at any cost. One recent proposed development in south Kilkenny would not even hold a public consultation in the local community. The meeting was held outside of the area by appointment only. Talk about putting hurdles up for people who just want to have their say. I recently raised with the Department the urgent need to publish updated regulations. I have asked for a timeline but time and time again, all I get back from that office is waffle. These communities are not anti-wind. They simply want adequate guidelines to ensure that the wind turbines are not constructed on top of people's homes. I struggle to see how that is too much to ask for. It is worth remembering that the Minister of State's colleagues sat on these Opposition benches and raised these very same concerns. They called for the same actions and many of the Government's backbenchers still do, both here and at local meetings. It certainly does not appear to be a concern for the Cabinet. Then we have the other elephant in the room, namely, the utter scandal of curtailment payments. People are stunned when they hear about this. It is another clear example of the public being forced to foot the bill for years of under-investment in vital infrastructure like the national grid. We are building wind turbines at such a rate that the grid cannot cope with the supply. Here we are again with the Government putting the cart before the horse. These profit-driven projects are then told to switch off or reduce their generation and they are paid to do it. Last October, that bill hit €115 million, a cost the public had to pay as part of their monthly bills. It is not unique to wind. Solar curtailments in Ireland have increased sevenfold since 2022. We are taxing the public to build infrastructure that works part-time while charging them full-time prices to cover the waste. This is not a green strategy. It is a gold-plated waste of public money. Just like with housing, this developer-led agenda is not for the benefit of consumers nor for the public good. It is designed to ensure high profits for private investors.

I commend Deputy Stanley on bringing forward this very important Bill and for all the work that went into it. It is imperative that we get action and that there is real and true balance for communities. Currently there are no protections for any communities throughout my own county of Offaly or the neighbouring County Laois. It is very unfair. Communities have no say whatsoever and these monstrosities of structures are imposed on them. As I will be discussing, there are serious health concerns and effects from the infrasound. All of this needs to be investigated thoroughly and there needs to be fair play. In terms of consultation and engagement with communities, it cannot be a tokenistic tick-the-box exercise. That is what I have seen happening. We are not fools. We can see what is happening. I know from my extensive engagement with communities from north Offaly right down to south Offaly that this is what is happening. It is a tick-the-box exercise and there are bribes thrown out to people in the community to try to divide it. That is what is happening. Meanwhile, as I said, these monstrosities are imposed on communities. It is my firm belief that issues such as this need and command cross-party support, with everybody working together regardless of political allegiances. This is an issue affecting all of our communities the length and breadth of the country. For the past number of years, I have been engaging first-hand and directly with so many communities throughout my constituency of Offaly and I am very frustrated and disillusioned by the lack of action. I, like many others and like Deputy Stanley, have called for the publication of those guidelines. I was elected in 2016, and I started calling for them to be published at that time. We only have draft guidelines. There are loopholes and there are companies running amok. They are absolutely taking advantage of communities. Are we here to serve those corporate entities that profiteer or are we here to serve our communities? I am elected, and I want to serve my community as do many others here, but it is about time we to started listening and acting and not giving the usual waffle that we are in agreement. People do not want sympathy. They want action, and they want proper protections. I will certainly continue to call for those protections. Again, it is rural communities that are being treated so unfairly by Government, which is just not listening and taking action. How long is it going to take? How long more? We all know that the Government can bring in legislation when it so pleases. We all know that because we were locked down more than we should have been in County Offaly. We were subjected to a third lockdown during Covid-19. The Government was able to do that, so why can it not bring in legislation to protect communities? It could be done quickly if the political will was there. I certainly will continue to call for it. In communities like Lemanaghan, where there is a heritage bog with monastic links to Clonmacnoise, we have Bord na Móna coming in and trying to impose a wind farm on that community. There is a community in Stonestown in Cloghan which is suffering terribly from the health effects of turbines that are very close to their homes. I am calling for action. There is a wind farm in north Offaly, and I have had farmers tell me that it is affecting the livestock. The livestock had to be moved from one field into another field well away with the wind turbines. It is affecting everybody. It is not just in one particular area. All of those communities cannot be wrong. They are not wrong. We need solid actions. As I said, communities are right to be disillusioned, frustrated, angered and, indeed, ignored because there are no protections and their rights are being trampled on. Communities like Lemanaghan, which I mentioned earlier, strongly object to the wanton destruction of their bog, not just from a heritage point of view but also because of the fact that habitats, flora and fauna will also be considerably destroyed. The fact that the 2006 wind energy guidelines remain in force pending finalisation of the review, which has been ongoing since 2016, is nothing short of farcical and, indeed, borderline contemptuous of communities which have clearly expressed the gross inadequacies of the current regulatory regime. This is why I recently called again for all wind energy and wind turbine developments to be halted until the guidelines are produced. As I said, why are we just letting these companies trample over communities? I have raised this matter repeatedly through parliamentary questions and most recently with the Minister with responsibility for the environment, Deputy O'Brien, when I asked him if he would provide information regarding the reports on wind turbine noise. I also asked him to clarify his support for increased protections for persons adversity affected by the noise. Again, I want to mention the community of Stonestown, Cloghan, in County Offaly. They informed me that 250 complaint records were submitted in regard to two Statkraft wind farms. They have been lodged with the county council. There does not seem to be anything happening. Again, their concerns are being ignored. As I said, there has to be action. I also agree with the residents who say it is high time that the Department of Health got involved. I have submitted parliamentary questions to that effect. I want to end to give others time, and I will do so by quoting the following email I received from a resident summing up the nightmare that they are going through with these wind turbines being close to their home. The constituent wrote: Another two nights from hell here the last 2 nights [were also hell]. Awake all night again, child here crying with frustration as am I, the embarrassment of having to put this down on another email again. The fact that the solution ye see fit is a simple reply email and no action just fills me with anxiety about another winter of this. The house is vibrating here again, I've damage all over the house from the vibrations as well as all my family being sick ... [over the period of time. This is something] ... we didn't ask for or [something we didn't] want in our lives and [we want for nothing more other than to be respected]. This person goes on to say: It is just so unfair to expect us to continue to live through this nuisance every day and [every] night, it's depressing as depressing can get and still no help. I've to try and work another day tomorrow on empty and I am expected to provide for my family with no energy and eyes falling out of my head. It's just not good enough for ... [us to have this] forced upon us here, trapped under the control of this crap and not being in any control, it's like living with an abuser daily wondering if tonight is ... [another] night again ... [that I will] lay awake. We're being traumatised every minute every day and no one seems to care, or do you have a duty of care [to us communities] at all? That should give the Minister of State a flavour of just exactly what people are dealing with and the way it is affecting their mental health and well-being and their lives in general. This is not a policy issue that can simply be ignored. It is having real-world consequences of the most awful kind, and I am very concerned about it.

I thank Deputy Stanley for bringing forward this Bill and giving us the chance and opportunity tonight to discuss the wind turbine regulations. There is obviously an urgent need to update these regulations. At present, as has been said numerous times tonight, we are operating off guidelines set in 2006, and things have definitely moved on considerably since then. There have been significant advances in technology and so on, but also in the urgency with which we need to decarbonise and transition towards clean renewable energy. That has become a far greater need for the planet on which we live. Put simply, we need to generate a hell of a lot more renewable energy than we do at present, and wind is probably one of the best resources in that regard. Equally, and most importantly, is the fact that communities are brought along with us and, in the context of this Bill, those communities that are playing host to these onshore wind farms. A basic principle cleared up on just transition is that climate action is something that should be done with people rather than to people. It is important that community voices are heard and that their genuine concerns are addressed. Over the past number of weeks, I have had a number of people and groups getting in touch with me in anticipation of this Bill. They told me about issues affecting them, be it noise pollution, shadow flicker, biodiversity effects and so on. I know exactly the impact that is having. I have been working closely with the community of Kilberry next door to where I live just outside my hometown of Athy. For decades, members of the Kilberry community have worked in the local Bord na Móna facility, which is now closed, unfortunately, and is to be replaced, be it in part, by a wind farm. There are many genuine concerns about this proposed facility, and the community deserve to be heard and listened to. Likewise, my colleague in County Louth, Deputy Nash, has spoken to me about the widely held concerns in his community over the planned Kellystown wind farm. For years now, he, like me, has been pressing successive Ministers to update and modernise the setback guidance. Many of these rural villages have gotten little support from the just transition fund. That is very important to state tonight. They have done their bit for Bord na Móna and the whole rural economy over the years but they have seen very little payback from the just transition fund. We are here tonight and the Government obviously recognises the need to update guidance, given that we have had draft proposals sitting idle since 2019. Assuming we are all in agreement on this need, we must ensure that community concerns are heard and addressed. Deputy Stanley has provided a great framework for community consultation, including early structured engagement. It is a very sensible approach. Developers cannot be allowed to treat community engagement as simply a box-ticking exercise, as many of them do at the moment. In many cases, it is a polite announcement of what has already been decided. Communities deserve to be treated as partners and not as obstacles. I have attended so many of these community consultations over the years, and when I left, the box was ticked. Similarly, I welcome the provisions on community ownership or shared benefit structures. Where renewable projects make tangible contributions to local development, be it through funding amenities, supporting co-operatives or offering community shares as the Bill states, it strengthens the local social licence for a renewable strategy. The Bill also deals with the element that has caused so many communities over the years to struggle, namely, the setback distances. This issue is about finding the balance and bringing the communities with us. I commend Deputy Stanley for putting this issue on the agenda. He has been talking about the need for this Bill for years. It is important that communities are engaged with in the process and they are brought along in our energy transition. They have to have a seat at the table. We obviously need to have minimum setback distances. Let me be absolutely clear about this - we also desperately need to update the guidelines on wind turbine development. I encourage the Minister and the Department to engage with Deputy Stanley on the Bill. I will work closely with my Labour Party colleague, Deputy Ciarán Ahern, who is our climate and energy spokesperson and a member of the climate committee. Crucially, and what is the heart of the Bill, is that the Department and other relevant authorities must engage with communities that host or will potentially host wind farms. It is incumbent on us all to find the appropriate mechanism or formula to ensure we can ramp up our onshore capacity in a way that abides by the principles of just transition and does not leave any rural community behind. In his contribution this evening, Deputy Stanley said he was willing to change and extend the Bill and work with the Government. He does not deserve to have the Bill kicked down the road for 12 months. Unfortunately, as has been said by many contributors, having a wind farm on your doorstep is a daily reality for many communities, as developers bring forward wind farm after wind farm without proper regulation or guidelines. Will the Government consider existing proposals for wind farms without first considering the guidelines we all seek this evening? This simply cannot continue. There is a time and need for proper regulations and guidelines. Each community that has been spoken about during this debate needs a seat at the table. They must be considered first before any wind farm.

In my constituency, and particularly in the north Galway area, we are facing a tsunami of wind energy developments. These are in communities such as Killimordaly, Clonberne, Barnaderg, Shancloon and Laurclavagh to name but a few, and there would be in excess of 150 turbines if all of the various projects at various stages of development go ahead. It is safe to say that north County Galway would be totally unrecognisable if this were allowed to happen. These are turbines that are 185 m high. The 2006 wind energy guidelines were brought forward when turbines were a fraction of that size. They are totally out of date and do not protect communities from these industrial-sized developments. My constituents are having their lives turned upside down with these developments being landed on their doorsteps. It is important to say they are in favour of renewable energy but they want to see it done right. The Government has done nothing. It has sat on its hands for years. The failure to bring forward updated guidelines to protect communities has been shameful. We do not have adequate setback distances, noise protection, environmental protection or consultation. The Government has allowed a developer-led free for all, whereby they can land these developments wherever they want with no regard whatsoever for local communities. There is no meaningful consultation, engagement or consideration for the impact on the communities that will have to live with these developments. It is an absolute dereliction of duty by the Government. It is the same with solar energy. There is a very large project in Monivea and Abbeyknockmoy in my constituency. We do not have solar guidelines. There are also large gas plants proposed, and it is the same story for communities in Athenry and Portumna. Sinn Féin has continuously demanded and campaigned for the Government to produce guidelines that would ensure these developments were not landed on top of people's homes. Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and, in particular, the former regional Independents, who were some the loudest critics of this in the previous Dáil but seem to have gone silent now, cannot continue to let everybody down. The Government is going to kick this to touch for 12 months. Obviously, there are flaws in the Bill, and Deputy Stanley has acknowledged this, but my fear is we will continue to hear excuses as to why new guidelines are not being brought forward. How many years has it been? It is almost 20 years since the 2006 guidelines. We continue to see grandstanding from Government TDs slamming the very same Government they are part of. It is time for the Government to stop abdicating its responsibilities, step up to the plate, stop hiding and get new guidelines in place.

In my role as a TD, I have had direct involvement on behalf of local communities in respect of the location of wind turbines in various locations throughout County Laois, and some of those developments also impacted on neighbouring counties such as Kilkenny and Carlow. Many years ago, the first involvement I had on behalf of a community was regarding a wind farm called Gortahile in Rossmore, which is overlooking County Carlow but very much in County Laois. When that application came through, the developer was proposing to put a wind turbine within 300 m of the nearest house. I objected very strenuously, and the community and I were united at that time. We met the developer and told it two words: "Go away". It went away and came back a year and a half later, by which time it had moved the turbines to well over a kilometre away from any house. It dropped a few of them. It listened and now we have seven or eight turbines in the place, working and generating good renewable energy. The turbines are well over a kilometre from houses. I stress these wind turbines are much smaller as the ones we have now. The community was satisfied and it is working satisfactorily. The developer listened to the local community and is to be commended. This is the only good success we have had with wind turbines in County Laois. It is on the Carlow border and overlooks County Carlow, and I am happy to acknowledge the work Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor from Carlow has done in this regard. In more recent years, we had a big application for an area called Coolglass, which is between the back of The Swan, up to Wolfhill and across to Timahoe. After a lot of public consultation, it was agreed by the executive and Laois County Council that the area where the application was submitted and other parts of the county were not areas for consideration for wind farms. The regulator looked at the plan, made no comment and was happy with this inclusion. The Minister looked at the plan when it went to the Department and said there was no problem with it. However, a developer came along and made an application for an area that was specifically marked as not for consideration. This shows how little regard there is for local democracy, when this was approved at local level and all the way up the line. I have noticed something that is a very bad precedent that we have to watch. If a development in future is quite small, it can go through easily but if it is of a particular scale, it might be considered strategic infrastructural development, which involves a different process. I have an example of a number of turbines in one location that were joined by one cable to a number of turbines in another location and they are now considered one application. If this trick is done by the developers, they can have small clusters, link them all with a cable and say those are national strategic infrastructure. They would then be able to go through a different planning process. This is not satisfactory and we have to be watchful of this. The public consultation for the wind farm proposal I mentioned was a leaflet drop to some houses in the area. There was no public meeting. No one ever came to a meeting, so they have shown contempt. At that time, I objected strenuously, as did the whole community. Laois County Council refused the application. I went to An Bord Pleanála, which is now An Coimisiún Pleanála, which also turned it down, and rightly so. The developer went for a judicial review. In the court, the judge told An Coimisiún Pleanála - which had refused the application - to go reconsider its decision. He did not overrule it, but told An Coimisiún Pleanála, in the clearest way possible, to reconsider its position. That left An Coimisiún Pleanála in an awkward position because it did not know whether what it came back with would stand up in court, and rightly so. The matter was then referred to the Supreme Court. This is going to set the precedent for all of Ireland in the context of what local authorities and An Coimisiún Pleanála should do in respect of these cases in the future. There will be certainty - that might be good or bad, we do not know yet - once the Supreme Court makes its decision on this application. An Coimisiún Pleanála will know how to proceed in the future. This is a very important case that is before the Supreme Court. We all have to watch the outcome of that very closely. Let us hope that it will be in line with what An Coimisiún Pleanála did in the first place by not granting the application. The most recent case in County Laois relates to the Laois-Kilkenny border. It is called the Seskin application. A great deal of work has been done in that area. Again, my principal objection to this application and all the others relates to the fact that they involve the net export of energy out of Ireland. It is not the function of any local authority, An Coimisiún Pleanála or the Government of Ireland to directly facilitate private investors - Irish, English or those from Hong Kong or wherever - in order that they can make profits on the backs of people in Ireland. The export of energy through the Celtic interconnector to France and Europe is purely for the profit of the developers. There is no gain in this for Ireland. We are talking here about surplus energy that will be exported and that will not be produced for the benefit of Ireland. This reminds me of what is happening in some places in China where people are working for little or nothing to produce the clothes many of us here are wearing. Those people are being abused, many individuals are making a profit and we are getting the benefit of the cheap clothes. That is the exact situation in this instance. The investors to whom I refer are going to sell a product cheaply into France on the backs of the Irish people who are going to have to tolerate wind turbines, shadow flicker and everything that goes with that. We have to be careful in that regard. After the 45-year period - ten years for planning to get it directed and a lifetime of 35 years - who is going to guarantee where the turbines are going to go? They will be left like a blight on the landscape for generations to come, and people will be amazed that we facilitated this. There is a proposal for community ownership of this. There should be a community gain and a community benefit. It should not just be a case of buttering up the local people. I would be concerned that if there is something left in 40 years' time, whoever the trustees or the local investors are could be held liable for the clean-up costs. If you are an owner, you could be caught for costs. Things can go wrong over the years. I would like to see a community gain rather than community ownership. All in all, I welcome this debate. We have a long way to go. We are not here to facilitate people in benefiting from putting wind turbines in our areas too close to our houses. I am all for turbines in the right locations. To those who say that we are going to have offshore generation, I heard at my committee meeting that it will be 25 years before offshore energy is produced by wind farms. Do not listen to any guff saying that this is a real option in the near future. We have to make sure we have sustainable energy for ourselves. We are not here to export cheap electricity to other countries from which we will get no gain, other than having to tolerate wind turbines, shadow flicker, the noise and everything else. We are not here to allow some people to make a fortune on the backs of the Irish people.

I acknowledge Deputy Stanley for bringing forward this Bill. It is constructive legislation that seeks to strike a balance. As other Members stated, delivering clean, renewable energy will ensure fairness. As I was sitting here, I heard a Deputy say that the regional Independents are against renewable energy. I was in negotiations for Government. We secured key steps for private wires and renewable developments relating to data centres. As a qualified engineer with a master's degree in sustainability, while we were in negotiations, I pushed for this. In the context of people saying that the regional Independents are against this , when I was at a committee meeting I heard a member of one party state that residents are worried about boiling their kettles. If you do the calculations, you will find that it costs five cent to boil a kettle. I am not here for sound bites; I am here for actual engineering being put down. Wind energy must be part of our future, that is clear. In that context, however, local communities cannot be an afterthought. I commend Deputy Stanley on bringing this Bill forward. With regard to onshore and offshore wind, it is a strategic choice. It is very important that the public know the difference in size of offshore and onshore wind farms. It is colossal. In the context of onshore generation, as other Deputies have said, turbines can be 165 m in height Offshore turbines can be 260 m high. The efficiency is what we should be focusing on. Onshore is, on average, 2.5 MW while offshore can get up to 12 MW, which is huge for Ireland in the context of energy generation. If any other country had the capability Ireland has, it would be seizing upon it. If this was Germany, this would have been done years ago. When I looked back through the Dáil records, I discovered that we had plans for this before the crash. Sadly, the economic crash happened and we were left on the back foot. We did not set up a national fund like other countries, such as Denmark or Norway, built on the basis of publicly owned success stories that create wealth. We are now reliant on foreign direct investment. We cannot change the past, but we can change legislation to make onshore and offshore benefit the Irish people as much as possible. We cannot repeat the mistakes of the past. I am on the climate and energy committee. We have had many groups in. I feel like a broken record talking about this because everyone agrees with regard to what we should do in the context of long-duration energy storage, creating a grid that is decentralised and protecting from curtailment and dispatch down. When you hear stories to the effect that €2.7 million worth of electricity is being lost every day due to dispatch down and our grid not being able to carry the load, it is absolutely heartbreaking. When I knock on doors in my constituency and talk to young mothers and parents who are struggling with the cost of electricity, I come to the conclusion that it makes no sense that we have the second or third highest energy cost per kilowatt hour in Europe when we have the capability of generating so much energy on our little island. Deputy Fleming mentioned the sale of energy to France. Solar farms and wind energy facilities - and I have heard other Deputies mention this - are turning off their renewable projects because the grid cannot take the energy. When representatives from EnergyCloud came before the energy committee, they proposed that this wasted energy be used to heat up boilers and be given to areas affected by disadvantage and socioeconomic difficulties. That is something we need to push for, because wasting this energy is absolutely ridiculous. One of the things I mentioned securing in the context of the programme for Government was private wire legislation. Germany has done it, Denmark has done it and the UK has done it. We clearly do not have the capacity to reach what the grid demands. We need to allow private wire legislation to be fast-tracked. I welcome the work the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and his Department have been doing on this. I look forward to the legislation coming before the House in the new year. What I would focus on when it comes to private wires are quasi-local projects and eco-villages that could benefit from offshore renewable energy. Deputy Stanley has made provision in his Bill for community benefit, community ownership and a fair share. This is one of the most important parts of the Bill, and I commend the Deputy on it. As I was reading it, I was very impressed with provision relating to the purchase of 10% of projects. Trust is built, not by ignoring people but by sharing benefits. As I have always said, if you put out a contract to the public and stick by it, they will not break that contract. The public needs to know that this Bill is not about blocking wind energy - far from it. The Bill would create the conditions for sustainable growth and community partnerships. Climate change demands action, but climate action must be taken in conjunction with people. We saw how people reacted when the previous Government brought in stuff without listening to them. An entire party was decimated. We cannot allow that to happen with the current parties and Independents here. We need to listen to the Irish people, conduct surveys and have community engagement. This is about fairness, planning and sense. It is also about ensuring Ireland leads. We did not lead when it came to our oil and gas. We now have a potential with our offshore renewable energy to use the curtailment to make green hydrogen, sell it to the growing market and make it benefit the Irish people. I will say this again, if any other country had this potential, it would have been done 20 years ago. I look forward to this Bill progressing and I look forward to working with colleagues to refine it further.

I thank the Deputies for their contributions. It has been a very thought-provoking, pragmatic and respectful debate and I very much appreciate that. I commend Deputy Stanley on raising the matter and the work that he has put into this Bill. I appreciate that it is an area that generates a lot of interest and debate across the country. The Government believes in the importance of public participation within our planning system. Any draft national planning statement, NPS, will be put out to public consultation, whereby all interested parties will have an opportunity to submit observations. The finalised NPS will be prepared following detailed analysis and consideration of submissions received during the consultation phase. The Government is confident that, while the review is being finalised and the planning system is capable of assessing applications for wind for wind energy development, connection proposals for wind energy development are subject to the same statutory requirements as other forms of proposed development. In making decisions on planning applications for any type of development, including wind energy development, any planning authority or board, as appropriate, must consider the proper planning and sustainable development of the area. The 2006 wind energy guidelines remain in force and planning authorities and the board must have regard to these guidelines in the performance of their functions. As such, it is considered that the planning policy and the legislative framework is in place to enable planning authorities and the board to make decisions on planning applications in respect of wind energy developments, in line with our planning and sustainable development, pending the finalisation of the revised national planning statement. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is satisfied that the existing and evolving planning system, supported by the Government policy more generally, provides a sufficiently robust policy and legislative framework to facilitate the roll-out of renewable energy development in a sustainable manner and to assist with meeting our needs of renewable energy requirements while balancing the perspective of local communities and allowing for public and stakeholder engagement. There is a need to develop as much onshore renewable energy capacity as possible in the coming years. The proposed restrictions in the Bill are also inconsistent with the work being undertaken by the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation on accelerating infrastructure delivery and the expected report with recommendations on same that is due to be brought to Government shortly. There is an increasingly urgent need to accelerate the delivery of infrastructure, including to ensure that our energy supply and networks can support the additional demands placed on them by the State's continued economic growth. It is important to recognise that there has been opposition to wind energy developments from some communities due to concerns in relation to the scale of proposed developments and the perceived potential impacts. The updated national planning statement will aim to adopt a more balanced approach to addressing local community concerns while also facilitating the roll-out of wind energy development to assist in meeting Ireland's renewable energy targets. This balanced approach is considered more appropriate given current climate concerns and the approach outlined in the Bill. In conclusion, as my colleague outlined in his speech, many of the provisions in the Bill are already being addressed in the context of the ongoing review of the existing wind guidelines. I also have significant concerns that the key measures within the Bill would jeopardise the State's ability to roll-out renewable energy and meet its legally binding targets in that regard. Accordingly, I wish to confirm that the Government proposes a timed amendment of 12 months.

I thank everybody for their contributions. I have listened very carefully to what people have had to say. The debate has been constructive but we need to move from discussion and debate to action. I will be pressing the Bill because I think we have kicked to touch too many times on this already. The Minister of State mentioned that significant progress has been made; it has not. She mentioned that the noise issue is causing the delay. I do not have the exact wording but it is in the script. That is the issue. Are we going to ignore World Health Organization guidelines so as to allow these international investors to plant turbines to export energy overseas? I do not have a problem with exporting energy. If we have a surplus, then by all means we should. I fully supported the Celtic interconnector. I remember going to France seven or eight years ago about it, as part of an Oireachtas delegation, to meet the electric company over there. Representatives from Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and I went there. It is a great idea, but the problem is we just cannot keep putting this back. The Minister of State mentioned that the 2006 guidelines are still there, but they include a 400 m setback. We are now getting to a point where if one of these turbines fell, it would nearly hit a house because they are so high. This is causing real problems. The reason we have to get this 80% from onshore wind, and I remember arguing this with Phil Hogan in this Chamber, and he is gone out of here a good while, is because we have not developed the other sources. Offshore has not happened, except for the Arklow one, which is there a number of years. The amount of solar is minuscule, and with anaerobic digestion we are only in the thought process part of it, and we have a huge problem with animal waste. The Minister of State knows that from being in government. We have a huge problem. What do we do? We have a very strong agricultural sector and that is good, but we have a problem with agricultural waste. A lot of that waste can be utilised for biogas. That is what they are doing in other countries and we should be doing the same. We have not even really got going with hydrogen yet. Solar, as I said, is really only starting. The top boys and girls in the Department have dismissed hydro over the years, yet we built Turlough Hill in the 1970s and had to pump water up to it, and it provides peak electricity. My point is that we are in a situation where all of these sources have to be used and that is why we have boxed ourselves into a corner where we are being told that, to meet our obligations, we have to produce 80% from onshore wind. That is actually questionable. A lot of this is being done to export. Deputy Heneghan mentioned how a lot of the excess generation is being wasted when all the turbines are going and the grid cannot take it. That is the nature of the wind: it is intermittent. It is a brilliant source of energy. I support it but it has to be done with other sources. We cannot put all of our eggs into one basket and that is what Government has done. Communities in Wolfhill, Spink, Timahoe, Ballinakill, Durrow and Cullahill and right across north Kilkenny are now facing into these situations. Some communities had to take judicial reviews, costing €60,000 or €70,000, which they had to raise. People had to go to the Four Courts, and that is not a planning system we should have. When we have to go there, it is all over. That is not what we should have to do. We need to have a better system in this country. If we do it in partnership with people, they can be brought along. If they have a stake in things, it is different. Deputy Fleming mentioned that there may be difficulties regarding the 10% ownership. I take on board what he is saying, but I would also point out that Templederry in County Tipperary is completely community owned. They are not worried about that. They are doing very well out of it. There are 28 shareholders, including the local GAA club and other clubs in the area. The rest of them are local people who invested in it. They are not bothered about that. They know that this is a good bet and it is working out for them. They got in at a time when wind turbines were not as efficient as they are now. They are even more profitable now that the Chinese manufacturers have really upped the game, as they have done with solar panels. We have not even started with the whole issue of biogas from farm waste. We have not even started to get that now. Farming organisations and the Department are now starting to look at it and I welcome that, but we are coming late to all of these things. These trains were coming down the track at us, and what did we do? We did nothing and the Government is moving too slow on a range of things. The pace is glacier-like. That is the one thing I find frustrating. As a member of a county council, which I know is on a smaller scale, but I could get things done in a week sometimes, or a month or year. In here it sometimes takes forever and a day to get things moving. That is not the way it should be. One of the Sinn Féin speakers mentioned that it would put up the price of electricity but did not explain how. I support the idea mentioned by Deputy Heneghan. Like a lot of other countries, if we had a national energy company, we would be trying to utilise this. Some 40 years ago, 95% of our electricity was in public ownership. My understanding is that is down to 25%. We had one of the lowest electricity prices in the European Union 40 years ago when 95% of electricity was in public ownership. We now hover in the top three or four highest electricity prices in the EU. That has not been very good for customers and householders. I fully support using renewable energies. I fully support using wind. One speakers said I stated there were flaws in the Bill. I did not say that; I said people might want to amend this Bill. Some Members might have misunderstood what I was saying. No legislation, including what comes from Government is ever perfect on the first draft. However, a lot of work has gone into it. It is not something that was put together in a week or a month or even six months. If Government or Opposition Members want to amend it, I am open to working with them but we have to try to change this and put a system in place. I cannot figure out what has happened to the Taoiseach. Reading a transcript of his from 2013, he said many of the things I and other speakers, such as Deputies Nolan and Fleming, have said today. As Taoiseach, he has a special responsibility to drive this and push it on. Local groups have not been a bunch of NIMBYs. Most of the people involved just want a little bit of fair play. Many of those groups have spent nights researching information and putting legal cases together, which they should not have to do. They network and try to fundraise and everything like that. They put in huge work and I want to recognise that. We need to have people spending their time doing better things than that. Guidelines can be twisted and moulded. Stronger, newer, updated guidelines that take account of the advances in the scale and ginormous size of these turbines and the technology available now would be better. The issue of solar regulations came up at a meeting of the Joint [Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage] the other day. If we are going to regulate solar farms, which are less intrusive, why are we not doing it for these enormous turbines? The Minister of State said she wants me to kick the Bill down the road for 12 months but I am not agreeing to that. I am pressing this Bill. I believe we need to move on it now as we have been dancing around it for long enough. As I said in my opening contribution, what is delaying this is how Government, senior officials and industries are going to explain to communities that they are going to have to scrap the World Health Organization guidelines. That is not good enough. The first job we have here every day is to protect the health and welfare of the people who send us here. We are all Teachtaí Dála, whether we are Ministers, the Taoiseach, backbenchers, in opposition or whatever. That is our first job. The WHO guidelines are the standard. That is what we should be achieving and we should not be afraid to stick by them. I appeal to Deputies on all sides of the House to work together. If they want to amend the Bill, I am open to doing that. This is my first crack at it. I do not have the resources of a Department to draft this but I think most people will admit it is the best stab at one that has been made here in the past 15 years. Do not kick to touch. I am pressing the Bill to a vote.

In accordance with Standing Order 85(2), the division is postponed until the weekly division time next week.