81. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if he will acknowledge that the High Court has now ruled in multiple cases that wind turbine noise can constitute a nuisance, even where developments are compliant with planning conditions; and his plans to ensure that Ireland’s regulatory framework adequately protects affected residents. [60859/25]

Sentiment score: 0.22

At the outset, I am not against wind energy. I am against the health implications of wind energy. Will the Minister acknowledge that the High Court has now ruled in multiple cases that wind turbine noise can constitute a nuisance, even where developments are compliant with planning conditions, and confirm the specific advice the Department received from the Office of the Attorney General in March 2024 regarding this matter? What are his plans to implement that advice to ensure that Ireland’s regulatory framework adequately protects affected residents?

Sentiment score: 0.15

How many High Court judgments will it take before the Government accepts that wind noise is causing health implications? People and communities in Limerick are taking up their own alliances because of the health implications where wind turbines are put up. Wind turbine planning applications are being lodged at a massive rate. The wind turbines that have gone up to date never involved health organisations. The HSE was not involved in the planning applications of the ones that exist. They are ignoring the health implications. Again, I am not against wind energy. I am against locations that are causing health implications for people living in those areas. People are entitled to their own health in their own residence. All they are asking for is to have their health protected. We are not against wind energy but we are against locations where they are causing health implications for people.

Sentiment score: 0.03

I thank the Minister. Again, we are talking about health. The other side of things is that given the number of wind turbines that have been pushed through planning at the moment, it is not about wind energy. Cian Murtagh is a lecturer in Sligo and he has looked at Ireland’s energy mix. For the month of October, we paid €115 million in curtailment costs and over €300 million in the last three months, taking money from every household to give to people who are profiting from wind energy. This is a business case in terms of what people are doing. They are flooding the market with these now. How many of the wind energy turbines in this country are owned by Ireland? I believe 63% are owned by companies based in China. Our wind energy is a land-take and the energy will not be ours by the time it finishes. It will be gone to different countries.

Sentiment score: 0.17

Offshore.

Sentiment score: 0.00

But we need offshore.

Sentiment score: 0.00