All three TDs elected to represent the constituency of north Tipperary and northwest Kilkenny attended a meeting in Toomevara parish hall last Thursday to discuss Tim Cullinan’s planned AD plant.

Independent TD Michael Lowry described the concerns raised by locals on the night as “heartfelt, genuine and sincere”.

“I do think that the location is wrong, I think the principle and the idea behind it is exceptionally good and I compliment you on bringing forward that plan. We’re reading every other day about the level of penalties that Ireland would have to pay for not reaching their climate targets,” he said.

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TD Ryan O’Meara from the neighbouring parish of Cloughjordan said he embraces and supports AD but of a lesser, individual farm-size scale.

The first-time TD took issue with the scale of the proposed development as well as the potential “roads issues” that would arise. O’Meara also questioned the lack of powers of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in regulating such a development.

“As far as I see it the EPA are not fit for purpose when it comes to the regulation of a lot of what they’re expected to regulate.

“It’s very hard for me as someone from this area, who knows the area so well and cares so much about it, to watch a community be split and divided and see such anger over an issue and I feel that I have to acknowledge it because I have been getting it non-stop for nearly six months now,” he said.

Meanwhile, Labour TD Alan Kelly said that these plants should not go ahead until a planning framework for AD is in place.

“Why in the name of God the Government haven’t put in place the framework for planning for these is beyond me. The feeling is that in some parts of this country, people are rushing, proposers are rushing, investors are rushing, project supporters are rushing, to get the bloody things in before the framework comes in and that’s a real concern,” Kelly said.

Planning

The planning application for the proposed AD plant will be made directly to An Coimisiún Pleanála as the plant falls under a Strategic Infrastructure Development (SID).

Such developments include energy infrastructure, including large-scale AD plants.

Other examples of energy infrastructure which are classed under SID include natural gas storage and large wind farms. These developments also need an environmental impact assessment report (EIAR).