Last week saw a catastrophic landslide on a wind farm construction site at Meenbog in County Donegal. There is quite a lot of video footage showing the extent of the environmental disaster and its impact on a sensitive location. It makes for stark viewing.

The potential for a disaster such as this was well flagged by campaigners due to the inadequacy of the governance of the industry. A review was started by the Fine Gael-Labour Government in 2013 but it still has not concluded.

Will the Government commit to a comprehensive review of the outdated 2006 guidelines once and for all in light of the Meenbog disaster and the Derrybrien site which has cost over €2 million in fines, while clocking up €15,000 more every single day due to Government inaction?

I am aware of the peat slide near Meenbog wind farm, Barnesmore Gap, south of Ballybofey, County Donegal, which is under construction. The matter is being actively investigated by several statutory agencies, led by Donegal County Council. It involves the Environmental Protection Agency, Irish Water, the Loughs Agency, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, as well as the Northern Ireland Environment Agency having regard to the fact that the development is a transboundary project. A cross-Border multiagency meeting was held yesterday to co-ordinate a response to the significant pollution event that is impacting the Mournebeg River resulting from a bog slide in the townland of Meenbog, Ballybofey. All works have been suspended on this site.

On the issue of guidelines around wind farms, I am anxious to progress these. More generally, if we are committed to phasing out the use of fossil fuels, as is key in our climate change agenda, then we will need more wind energy. Offshore wind energy represents the future. It is something in which we need to invest very significantly and-----

Thank you Taoiseach. Time is up.

-----we will. Over time, the potential of offshore wind energy will outstrip onshore wind energy.