Government will not block SF’s wind farm bill

The Government has agreed not to oppose proposals for strict regulations on the location and operation of wind farms in plans put forth by Sinn Féin.

The Dáil private-members bill was allowed through last night, with the planning minister Jan O’Sullivan’s office denying it was a way of appeasing angry voters ahead of the local elections.

Sinn Féin welcomed the Government support, but warned their plan for minimal setback distances from turbines must not be allowed to gather dust on the shelves.

The Wind Turbine Regulation Bill proposes to protect dwellings from noise and shadow flicker by providing minimum setback distances. It also provides limits on the exportation of energy generated from wind turbines.

Sinn Féin environment spokesman, the Laois/Offaly TD Brian Stanley, said: “The question now for the Government is will they allow the Bill to proceed through the Houses of the Oireachtas properly, or are they going to sit on it until after the local elections? Labour will not be forgiven if this is just a cynical ploy.”

However, the Government argued it was still examining over 7,000 submissions on wind farms and was not expecting to produce planning guidelines until August.

Ms O’Sullivan agreed that the system needed to be regulated, her spokesman said.

However, the Labour minister’s spokesman said: “That timetable is not linked to the electoral cycle.”

Fine Gael TD Paudie Coffey, who faces opposition over wind farms in Waterford, told the Dáil that Sinn Féin’s bill, in its form, would wipe out hope of wind-power production in Ireland.

However, Sinn Féin said regulations were needed regardless of any consultation process. It said Labour had failed to act on policies to do with wind farms since being in Government. Its bill proposes setting the distance of wind turbines from houses at 10 times the height of a turbine.

Labour party sources last night confirmed that members — particularly those running in the local elections — were “getting it in the neck” about wind farm plans, especially in the Midlands.

TDs Willie Penrose (Westmeath), Jack Wall (Kildare) and Anne Ferris (Wicklow) are understood to be under pressure from constituents about planned projects.

Labour senator John Kelly originally tabled a bill in the Upper House in February 2012 on regulating distances between turbines and homes.

However, it was never brought any further.