Waterford residents ‘increasingly concerned’ by number of windfarms planned locally
Waterford Sinn Féin TD Conor McGuinness made the comments after he raised the issue in the Dáil recently
People in County Waterford are becoming “increasingly concerned” by the number of windfarms planned locally, a local TD has said.
Waterford Sinn Féin TD Conor McGuinness made the comments after he raised the issue in the Dáil recently.
Deputy McGuinness raised concerns over the growing number of wind energy developments being proposed around Dungarvan.
In doing so, he warned that local communities are being asked to deal with major developments while national planning guidelines remain almost two decades old.
Deputy McGuinness said residents across West Waterford are “increasingly concerned” about the impact of multiple wind energy proposals in the surrounding countryside.
He continued: “Residents are seeing wind energy applications coming forward one after another, and they are entitled to ask what the overall plan is for the area.
“I raised this directly in the Dáil because this is not simply about one individual planning application.
“It is about whether communities are being given proper protection and whether there is a coherent national framework for deciding where and how these developments should take place.”
Deputy McGuinness called for the Government’s wind energy guidelines to be updated.
“The current Wind Energy Development Guidelines date from 2006. They were written for a very different energy system and a very different scale of wind energy development.
“The Government has been promising to update them for years, but the 2006 guidelines remain in force.
“Local authorities are therefore being asked to deal with modern wind energy developments using an outdated national framework, while residents are left trying to assess the cumulative impact of proposals in their own communities.”
He argued that Waterford residents should not be subjected to such a large number of windfarm developments, particularly before the guidelines are updated.
“Dungarvan and the surrounding communities should not have to wait until multiple developments are in the planning system before the Government provides clear national rules.
“We need renewable energy and we need to meet our climate targets, but that must happen alongside proper planning, proper community engagement and respect for the people who live in the areas where these developments are proposed.
“The Government needs to finalise the new guidelines and give communities clarity about what the rules are.”
He concluded by saying that people in Dungarvan and surrounding areas deserve to know that there is a coherent plan for renewable energy development.