Sir, – I note some correspondence (April 15th) regarding the wind generating system at Cape Clear Island referred to my book, Inside RTÉ, A Memoir.
I was first alerted to the problem as some islanders saw it by island residents who were willing to go on camera in 1991. A contact of mine in the ESB confirmed that Charles Haughey was so impressed with the system on Cape Clear that he requested such a system for Inishvickillane, and this was provided. A Jesuit writer on island issues, Fr Diarmuid Ó Peicin, also wrote to The Irish Times expressing concern about the proposed removal of the generator at the time. Some island residents were certainly under the impression that their system had been replaced and the original sent to Inishvickillane, and they were anxious to be interviewed to argue their case for its restoration. The "sporadic" nature of the service was stated to me by one islander, who wished to be interviewed, and is contained in the research notes. So too is the view of the managing director of SMA Regelsystem Gmbh, who, having provided a tender, was surprised to hear he was no longer required to be involved, as the ESB had supplied the generator for Inishvickillane. He was willing to be interviewed on camera to say this.
My essential point was not to denigrate either the ESB or the wind generation project that was such a success on Cape Clear. The issue was otherwise. We had a story which was prevented by Mr Haughey at an early stage of filming. We would have sought a reply to the island residents from both the ESB and Mr Haughey had the report been allowed to proceed. – Yours, etc,
BETTY PURCELL,
Lower Hollybank
Avenue,
Ranelagh, Dublin 6.