I wish to raise the issue of energy developments in County Galway. My constituency has seen some of the highest concentration of wind energy projects across the State. There are proposals for a large solar project in Monivea and two large-scale gas-fired generation plants in Athenry and Portumna. These projects are causing huge unease in communities. They are extremely divisive and they are all being led-----

Sentiment score: 0.15

We have wind farms, a solar project in Monivea and two large-scale gas-fired generation plants being proposed in Athenry and Portumna.

Sentiment score: 0.00

In general, yes. All these projects are very divisive. They are all being led by private investors that are only interested in extracting a profit from local resources and are not interested in the communities around them. The public consultations on these projects are nothing more than box-ticking exercises. There is no input from communities and many large-scale projects are in close proximity to residential areas. Everybody understands the critical need for energy security but this developer- and profit-led approach needs to change. Communities need to have real input and, ultimately, ownership of these projects. I ask the Taoiseach to look into the projects outlined and ensure there is real community consultation and guidelines where projects should be located.

Sentiment score: 0.18

I am not rejecting them. I am just about talking about guidelines for where they should be going in.

Sentiment score: 0.18