Government warned plans to open areas for wind farms will destroy Kerry peatlands

A small number of submissions on the minister’s wind farm recommendations say Kerry County Council should not succumb to populism

Kerry County Council has said, with 364 turbines, more than any other county, Kerry had “done enough for wind” for the national grid. Pictured is the 38-turbine Grousemount Wind Farm near Kilgarvan in the county. Photo: Neil Michael

The Local Government minister has been warned he risks destroying valuable peatlands in his draft direction to the Kerry County Council to revise its new county development plan to open up more areas of the county for wind farms.

His intervention shows a lack of regard for local communities and local decision-making in Kerry by pursuing national renewable energy targets, submissions on the minister’s draft direction claim.