Leitrim groups protest outside Dáil Éireann re: outdated windfarm guidelines
Leitrim Wind Aware and Save Dough Mountain groups attended
Representatives of Save Dough Mountain and Leitrim Wind Aware were among the 20 groups that gathered outside Dail Eireann on May 21st.
The aim of the gathering, organised by the national group Community and Environmental Alliance (CEPA), was to highlight the concerns of communities living in close proximity to existing and proposed wind farms
The groups are well aware of the need to move away from fossil fuels but the outdated guidelines which date from 2006 and the lack of regulation give no protection to communities or the environment.
Over 200 people from all over Ireland gathered in the sunshine with banners and county flags to voice their concerns.
Deputy Sean Canney for Galway East and Deputy Richard O'Donoghue, Limerick County, referred to those concerns in the Dail chamber on the day.
The Taoiseach, Simon Harris responded by saying they would have updated guidelines by year end.
L-R; Adrienne Diamond, Graham Robertson, John Mathews, Nuala McNulty, Keara McMenamin and Deputy Marian Harkin.
The Leitrim groups met with Deputy Marian Harkin and members of her team following the protest to discuss the issues and voice their concerns over proposed developments on Dough Mountain, Manorhamilton and Croagh Mountain, Dromahair.
The current guidelines established 18 years ago were at a time when the average height of a turbine was 80m, the ones currently being proposed for Dough Mountain are 185m and Croagh Mountain are 170m.
A new windfarm being proposed in Glencar is at a turbine height of 155 m. Not only are the turbines getting bigger but the numbers in the wind farms are also increasing. The outdated guidelines say the turbines have a setback of 500m from dwelling houses so bear no relevance to today's conditions.
Adrienne Diamond, spokesperson for the Leitrim Wind Aware group said, "Communities are under siege from developers who want to erect wind farms too close to houses and farms and on unstable mountains in areas prone to landslides. There is no just transition in this profit driven industry."