PROPOSED wind farms in Bruff and Dromin-Athlacca and Coolcappa are causing “unbelievable problems” for local communities.
That’s according to Sinn Féin senator Joanne Collins, who told the Seanad that the people in the houses, schools, and communities nearby are completely opposed to the proposed turbines due to the distance and proximity to their homes.
The two proposed wind farms will have turbines of 158m, which Senator Collins considers “extremely high”.
“They are similar to the ones seen on the main motorway from Limerick to Dublin, so you can imagine the height of these near houses,” she told the Upper House.
“These wind farms are causing unbelievable problems in the area because the proposer of the wind turbines has given his land, where these wind turbines are proposed to go, but the people in the houses, schools, and communities nearby are completely opposed due to the distance and proximity to their homes.
“They reckon they will completely lose the value of their homes if these wind turbines go up. They will not be able to sell when it comes to it, nor will they even want to pass them down to their children because of the flicker effect and the noise of the wind turbines.”
Senator Collins deemed it “really frustrating” that Ireland is still working off guidelines from 2006 when new ones were drafted in 2019.
“Local authorities are completely inconsistent with their plans and procedures for wind farms. They are working off old guidelines. They do not know if the wind turbines going up at the moment will be within the new guidelines. If the new guidelines come out and stipulate that we cannot have turbines at a height of 158m, these new ones that go up will not be pulled out. They will not,” she said.
Minister of State at the Department of Climate, Energy, and the Environment, Timmy Dooley, thanked Senator Collins for raising what he deemed an important issue.
“It is important that people in communities engage collectively and also with the developer in the first instance. Some of the developers do not make enough effort to engage with the local community and that is regrettable. Of course, it is, as set out in law, available to any citizen or group to make submissions to the local authority or, indeed, to An Coimisiún Pleanála in relation to issues so that proper planning is followed. That is part of the process generally,” Minister Dooley said.