February 9, 2023
Ireland

‘Nobody is listening to the people who are living with wind turbines’

Posted on February 8, 2023 by John O'Mahony • killarneytoday.com

Onshore wind solutions are a lazy way out for the Government to reach energy targets, a Kerry councillor has insisted and he warned Environment Minister, Eamon Ryan, that he facing a “hell of a backlash” over plans to relax the planning around wind turbines.

Cllr Jackie Healy-Rae said that Government continue to have no understanding on the impact some of the wind energy applications are having on communities nor do they care.

Currently a major review of the rules governing the construction of wind turbines is likely to result in relaxed regulations as the Government faces a race to commit to new climate action targets.

Cllr Healy-Rae said community concerns, above all else, must be taken on board first ahead of construction of wind turbines.

“There is nobody listening to the people who are living with wind turbines and there seems to be no intention to listen to people who are going to have turbines forced upon them, if rules are relaxed,” he said.

Cllr Healy-Rae said that he is totally against calls for automatic approvals on renewable energy projects, if the planning process takes over two years.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2023/02/09/nobody-is-listening-to-the-people-who-are-living-with-wind-turbines/