Ministers criticised for 16-month delay in wind farm guidelines

Fine Gael TDs tonight criticised Labour Ministers Alex White and Alan Kelly for the 16-month delay in issuing planning guidelines for wind farms.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny accepted a motion at a parliamentary party meeting calling for the revised plans to be released as soon as possible.

Mr Kenny said meetings were ongoing with the Departments of the Environment and Communications, but accepted the plans needed to be released as soon as as possible.

The motion was proposed by Kildare TD Martin Heydon and Meath East TD Helen McEntee. The meeting was told planning applications were under way for 160m high wind turbines, with some located 500m from houses.

TDs said the proposals which were lodged were “crazy”.

Mr Heydon told the meeting the Spire in Dublin City centre was 120m high and said the applications were for turbines were significantly higher.

The review had been promised for 16 months but had yet to come.

Mr Kenny accepted the concerns and said he would urge the Minister for the Environment to issue the guidelines as soon as possible.