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.

Sentiment score: 0.03