Interested parties must make submissions to the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government within the next eight weeks if they are to influence new planning guidelines for wind energy development in this State.
On the basis of draft guidelines, which were published yesterday by the Minister, Mr Cullen, the Government is leaning heavily in favour of the development of wind farms, even in sensitive upland and coastal areas, in order to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.
As oil prices reach historically high levels and global warming gathers pace, the need to utilise naturally recurring resources for the generation of electricity presents a compelling case. The Kyoto Agreement obliges the Government to cut back on greenhouse gas emissions. And the generation of electricity through wind power is one obvious solution. In pursuing this goal, however, we must ensure that long-term damage is not caused to the visual and scenic environment that underpins both our quality of life and the tourism industry.
The extent of the Government's commitment to wind power, as reflected in the draft guidelines, will cause serious disquiet to some environmentalists and to other interested parties. The development of wind farms appears to take precedence over most other considerations. Mr Cullen said the designation of conservation areas for natural heritage or wildlife reasons would not necessarily prevent wind farm development.
The publication of the draft document should be welcomed as an important contribution to public debate and Government decision-making. The document advocates an intensive level of consultation with local communities by developers, before planning permission is sought for individual wind farms. Such a progressive attitude makes it imperative that public sentiment is also tested before planning guidelines are adopted in relation to such permissions. That way, unnecessary and damaging confrontations may be minimised.
There is much to recommend the approach being adopted by the Government in relation to wind farm development. All local authorities will be required to identify the areas they regard as suitable and unsuitable for wind farm structures in their five-year development plans, based on wind energy mapping and landscape assessment. Such a system should ensure a consistency of approach throughout the State and provide clarity for developers, the planning authorities and the public. And while local authorities will be required to adopt "a positive attitude" to the development of wind farms generally, the role of elected representatives in mediating that directive will be crucial.
The aim of Government is to increase the output of wind energy to 13 per cent of total electricity needs by 2010. That is a hugely ambitious programme with major implications for the Irish landscape. It is vital that proper planning, rather than the needs of developers, should shape it.