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Families, especially children, are suffering from a lack of sleep because of noise from wind turbines, while the Government is “refusing” to meet with those affected, the Dáil has heard.
Tánaiste Simon Harris was told that the HSE’s environmental health service believed an investigation was warranted in at least one case, but the Department’s public health section failed to carry one out. Communities in counties including Offaly, Kilkenny, Mayo, and Limerick have all been raising concerns about the impact of wind farms for years, Mr Harris was told.
Independent Ireland TD said that turbines should not be located where they may affect residents’ health, claiming that evidence shows turbines have health impacts “without doubt” in a number of locations.
It comes amid a plea for Mr Harris to meet with the Communities and Environmental Protection Alliance, along with affected families and the Minister for Health.
The Government, Mr O’Donoghue said, continues to fail to produce updated national planning rules on wind farms, amid calls for a formal public health investigation.
In response, Mr Harris did not make a firm commitment to meet with those affected, but said he would arrange a meeting with the Government.
“A number of weeks ago, I was copied into a serious letter from the Communities and Environmental Protection Alliance, CEPA, to the Minister of Health,” said Deputy O’Donoghue.
“ I am informed that there has been no response, not even an acknowledgement. Representatives from five counties are in the Public Gallery today. They are from Limerick, Mayo, Kilkenny, Wicklow and Offaly, including members of the Stonestown community in County Offaly who live beside the Cloghan wind farm.”
He continued: “For more than three years, that community has raised noise complaints with the local authority, the HSE and the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA.
“The crucial point is that the HSE environmental health service examined the matter, visited the community and requested a public health investigation into the complaints.
“The public health section denied it. One part of the health service was looking for an investigation but the Department’s public health section denied it. I want to understand why. The HSE is our expert public health agency. If its own environmental health service believes a matter warrants further investigation, what justification does the Department of Health have to refuse its request?”
The House heard that rather than it being an “isolated” issue in county Limerick, there are long-running complaints reading about turbine noise and shadow flicker in Kilmeedy and Morristown. While in county Clare, the HSE had investigated a wind farm following complaints and at the request of the local authority.
“I have a copy of that investigation,” said the Limerick TD. “The Tánaiste and I met CEPA a number of years ago and we discussed these complaints. The Taoiseach is on the record 13 years ago saying that there are health implications to wind farms.
“There is something that I want the Tánaiste and all other Members sitting around the House today to do. There are two children sitting in the Public Gallery with their parents, a 12-year-old and a ten-year-old. I want the Tánaiste to tell them that he is going to sit there and not investigate the issues and hide things until 2030.
“Their parents get complaints that they have to come to school because their children are falling asleep in class. If it was the Tánaiste’s child, how would he feel as a parent? Would he deny this for 13 years? Would he deny it for ten minutes if it was his child?”
The TD told Mr Harris that it had been “proven without doubt” that there are health implications to wind turbines in certain areas.
“I am not against wind turbines in areas where they do not have health implications, but this one does. So, when the Tánaiste is giving his reply, I want him to think of the children and families this is affecting.”
Mr Harris said he was “consistently on the record” on the importance of publishing new guidelines in relation to wind energy and wind farms.
“I am a believer, as I believe the Deputy said he was, in the switch to renewable energy. It is really important. We have seen what happens when we live in a country that is too reliant on fossil fuel. We all know that.
“We can have debates about how to make that transition but our country is still addicted to fossil fuel. The impact of that on consumers and citizens in the Deputy’s constituency and mine every time somebody makes a decision thousands of kilometres from here is not an abstract thing any more. It has happened not once, but twice in the last five years and plunged us into challenges like the cost-of-living crisis and real difficulties for people. We all accept that point and are not rowing on that point or debating it.”
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