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.

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