Thomas Pringle TD slams Government for sitting on wind farm guidelines

Growing concerns about wind energy regulations and in particular the locating of wind farms at environmentally sensitive areas such as peat bog sites on the sides of mountains in Donegal were aired by independent TD Thomas Pringle in the Dáil yesterday evening.

Deputy Thomas Pringle slammed the Government for failing to publish wind energy guidelines, 10 years after the process began.

The independent Killybegs-based public representative also raised the investigation, not yet completed, into the 2020 bog slide at Meenbog, Ballybofey which may affect planning applications in the area.

Addressing the Tánaiste, Micheál Martin he said they all remembered the shocking images of a bog slide at Meenbog from November 2020.

"The sight of trees slipping down the hill while still standing was truly shocking.

“Now two and a half years later there is no word of the investigation into the cause of the slide as if we didn't know.

"Meenbog is the site of a significant wind farm development,” he said. 

He added: “I ask about this because it is very relevant to current wind farm applications in the Gweebarra area of west Donegal. You will probably reply that it is up to Donegal County Council or An Bord Pleanála to decide, not you or the Government, but I believe that many people in Donegal and around the country believe that the Government has to take a view on this issue. 

“We have also seen the Government dragging its heels on publishing the Wind Energy Guidelines. A draft was published in 2019 and not a word since. A process that started in 2013, ten years ago now.” 

Deputy Pringle said bog slides have been reported elsewhere in recent times.

“We have seen many bog slides over the last few years around the country, not all associated with wind farm developments, but it shows the risk is real.

“Given that we still don't know the outcome of the damage to the River Finn and its tributaries, do you believe that An Bord Pleanála should adjudicate on any applications that may come from similar landscape areas in the county or indeed in the country?

“Will you or the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications take an interest and protect the sensitive environment of the Gweebarra by ensuring that you have an interest in the applications in the area and not leave it to the inadequately prepared An Bord Pleanála at the very least at the present time?”

In his exchange with the Tánaiste, Deputy Pringle said: “I understand exactly what you’re saying in relation to individual planning applications but we’re looking here at applications on very sensitive landscape areas, where [a bog slide] has happened in November 2020 and we still to this day have not received a report as to what happened.”

“We have not seen a report that will have an impact on other applications right across the board and we can see the possibility of a repeat performance again. We’ve seen a number of instances across the country – not all related to wind farm developments, but bog slides that have taken place in Galway, in Leitrim and in Donegal. So this is a national issue.

“This is an issue that the government should be aware of and should be informed about and the Government should be taking action in relation to it. And you say that the Government doesn’t have a responsibility in relation to planning, but yet the Government has responsibility in providing guidelines for wind farms and has sat on it for 10 years and not provided those guidelines.”

In his response, the Tánaiste said he could not speak on specifics of any particular planning application and he did not believe Government should interfere in investigations. He said the deputy made a fair point in terms of the timeliness of the investigation and said he would ask the minister where the investigation is and come back to Deputy Pringle with timelines.