Letter: Patrick Donohoe's article on wind turbines

Gerard Kerrigan, dairy farmer, Fletchertown, Wilkinstown, Navan, Co Meath.

DEAR SIR:

I read with interest the article by Patrick Donohoe in the Irish Farmers Journal dated 1 November 2014. I find it astonishing that the wind energy movement appears so hell bent on driving forward with the establishment of industrial wind turbines when it appears that the industry itself and the Government seem undecided as to whether there is even a need for this type of facility.

What the article demonstrates clearly is that the ESB, which has provided a service for a long time, seems convinced that this approach is unnecessary.

It is most likely to result in additional costs to the Irish consumer in the long term. The ESB has felt strongly enough to make these views clear in its submission to the Government on green energy.

Likewise, the Government through the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources is unable to address the questions raised in the article until they have fully decided on their position. This, I understand, they intend to make clear in the publication of their own follow-up white paper on renewable energy sometime in 2015.

To someone with merely a layman’s view on these matters, it would make sense to postpone the granting of planning permission for these intrusive industrial wind turbines and the violation of the Irish countryside until such time as our Government has established whether there is a need or benefit for its people, and in particular, those who will be afflicted with their legacy.

It also needs or be borne in mind as the article outlines, that it is far from certain whether these “early adopters of technology could lock in high cost solutions for 20-50 years”. I would like to know what IFA’s stance is on this, as it is their members who will be afflicted by these monstrosities of commercial turbines. The small minority of “host farmers” who will benefit are far outweighed in numbers by those IFA members who are opposed to this.

Approval of this scheme will set farmer against farmer and especially our rural neighbours, with whom we work in harmony.