Madam, - I read with interest a recent newspaper article about Environment Minister Dick Roche and his environmental footprint. The minister is quoted as saying: "I would consider putting in a personal wind turbine; but when you live in a period house, you have to make certain that you do nothing out of keeping with it."
I live in a period house amid the rolling farmland of the Golden Vale just a few minutes from The Rock of Cashel. South Tipperary County Council regularly reminds my wife and I that our Georgian house is a protected structure as the landscaped parkland and "all the trees thereon". But now, thanks to Mr Roche's and the Government's cavalier attitude towards wind farms, we may soon have 25 of them on my neighbour's land just 600 metres behind our protected Georgian house.
I cordially invite Mr Roche to visit our scenic part of South Tipperary and to see for himself exactly what a large European wind energy company has planned for our tranquil but heavily populated region. The proposed turbines would be 121.5 metres high; that's about 400 feet - higher, I believe, than the Spire in Dublin's O'Connell Street. I would be happy to collect Mr Roche from Thurles railway station in my small car as I know how keen he is on reducing emissions from gas-guzzling vehicles.
Wind turbines may look pretty, to some, from a distance; but having to talked to residents who live near existing installations, they are a living nightmare to have as a neighbour. These massive industrial turbines are noisy and visually alien to the landscape. They were voted "Britain's biggest eyesore". They destroy wildlife, heritage and the environment.
If Mr Roche does not review his policy very soon, he may well be remembered as the minister who not just left his footprint on the environment but also gave it a good kick in the teeth. - Yours, etc,
BARRY LALOR, Silverfort House, Fethard, Co Tipperary.