Are wind turbines bad for our health?

IT’S as inevitable as death and taxes – we are going to have more wind farms as the Government strives to meet renewable energy targets.

Energy Minister Eamon Ryan recently said Ireland is on target to generate 40% of electricity from renewable sources, with wind being pivotal, by 2020. That is optimistic and we will be among the best in Europe if we hit that target.

There are signs of opposition to such developments, with communities raising health and safety issues and the visual intrusion of ‘out of place’ turbines on scenic, elevated landscapes. We’ve heard visitors complaining about turbines on the hills of Cork and Kerry. There’s no shortage of them on the mountains that divide the counties, and in north Kerry, especially. There are 150 wind farms in the Republic. Donegal tops the list with 29, followed by Cork, 17, and Kerry, 14.