'Absolutely scandalous' - Laois TD calls for extensive wind farm legislation

Laois TD Brian Stanley raised a number of serious concerns regarding the lack of legislation around wind farm development in the Dáil last week.

The Independent Republican TD stated that the lack of regulation on the development of wind farms across the country has been a "complete failure" by successive governments. 

The locations of developments, their scale, noise pollution and associated planning concerns were among the many issues discussed by Deputy Stanley in the Dáil as he pushed for a new Bill to implement regulations.

Speaking in the Dáil on Thursday, December 4, the Laois TD said: "The absence of guidelines or regulations for wind turbines is absolutely scandalous. We have been relying on outdated guidelines from 2006."

Despite the concerns, Deputy Stanley urged that "it is not about stopping the utilisation of wind but having wind turbines in the right place and at the right scale."

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He went on to say that the most recent update on the progression of such legislation change was that "the Department is currently undertaking a focused review of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines which is looking at a number of key issues, including the noise aspect of the guidelines, which is highly technical in nature."

While this has dragged on for years by successive governments, Deputy Stanley said that "giant turbines" have been developed all over the country, especially in Laois and Offaly. He stated: "They cover huge tracts of land, and their scale has massively increased since the 2006 guidelines were put in place."

The Laois TD also remarked that these developments are mostly owned by large foreign investment funds which are having a negative impact on rural communities. Deputy Stanley said: "When there are no guidelines, never mind regulations, these companies behave as if it is a gold rush. If we have a situation where no system is in place, then anything goes." 

He continued: "This is a huge problem for rural communities. At the moment a huge number of wind turbines are planned right across the area of the south Laois-Kilkenny border. People have to put up with the noise, shadow flicker and the sterilisation of surrounding lands. Once the wind turbines are erected, even on their own land a son or daughter cannot get planning permission to build on the family farm because of the proximity of the turbines."

He urged: "This is not about stopping it; it is about having a balance in the planning system which is not there at the moment."

Deputy Stanley acknowledged the importance of wind energy, but argued that the Government is placing too much of an emphasis on this form of renewable energy to achieve its climate goals and is neglecting the development of other energy sources such as solar, hydro and offshore energy. 

In response to Deputy Stanley's address, Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Niamh Smyth said the Government "resolves that the Wind Turbine Regulation Bill 2025 be deemed to be read a second time this day twelve months, to allow for further consideration of the Bill."

Deputy Smyth explained that this was "to allow for sufficient time for full consideration of the Bill and for the development of Government proposals before the end of 2026, specifically the finalisation of the national planning statement on wind energy."

A number of TDs supported Deputy Stanley's Bill in the Dáil, including fellow Laois TD Seán Fleming. They all raised major concerns with the planning process for wind farms and the impact it is having on communities across the country, especially in Laois.

Commenting on this, Deputy Stanley said: "Communities in Wolfhill, Spink, Timahoe, Ballinakill, Durrow and Cullahill and right across north Kilkenny are now facing into these situations. Some communities had to take judicial reviews, costing €60,000 or €70,000, which they had to raise. People had to go to the Four Courts, and that is not a planning system we should have."

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme