I call Deputy Pringle on behalf of the Independent Group.

We all remember the shocking images from November 2020 of a bog slide at Meenbog in Donegal. The sight of trees slipping down the hill while they were still standing was truly shocking. Now, two and a half years later, there is no word of the investigation into the cause of the slide, as if we did not know what it was. Meenbog is the site of a significant wind farm development, a development that appears to be progressing, regardless of the investigation. People knew that the site was not suitable even for trees, never mind for a wind farm development. As usual, the planning process is skewed against local people and their often genuine concerns.

I ask about this because it is relevant to current wind farm applications in the Gweebarra area of west Donegal. The Tánaiste will probably reply that it is up to Donegal County Council or an Bord Pleanála to decide and not for him or the Government. Yet, I, and many people in Donegal and around the country, believe that the Government has to take a view on this issue.

We have also seen the Government dragging its heels on publishing the wind energy guidelines. A draft was published in 2019 and there has not been a word about it since. A process started in 2013, which is now ten years ago. This is about protecting concerned local people, so there is no urgency on it. The place where the wind farm developments are taking place in the Gweebarra is covered in blanket bog which, apart from anything else, scientists believe that it is the best possible carbon sink. The risk of further bog slides cannot be underestimated and, like in Meenbog, the Gweebarra Estuary is a significant salmon river and the risks of ecological damage are immense.

We have seen many bog slides over the last few years around the country. While not all are associated with wind farm developments, they show that the risk is real. Given that we still do not know the outcome of the damage to the River Finn and its tributaries, does the Tánaiste believe that An Bord Pleanála should adjudicate on any applications that may come from similar landscape areas in the county or indeed the country? Will he or the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications take an interest and protect the sensitive environment of the Gweebarra by ensuring they have an interest in the applications in the area and not leave it to the inadequately prepared An Bord Pleanála at the very least at the present time?

It is very unusual to raise individual planning applications.

It is not individual. There is a whole raft of planning applications. It is not about those. It is about the blanket bog.

First, I cannot speak about the specifics of any particular planning application. Obviously, however, when an event such as what happened in Gweebarra happens, it does merit an examination. The Deputy is saying that the investigation is on the way but it has not concluded.

The operation of the National Car Testing Service (NCTS) is the statutory responsibility of the Road Safety Authority (RSA). I have referred the Deputy's query to the Authority for direct reply. I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response has not been received within ten days.

I am aware of the challenges that the RSA and the NCTS are currently facing to meet high demand for tests and the delays which vehicle owners are encountering. My officials continue to meet weekly with the Authority, to monitor ongoing progress in reducing test delays and to ensure all possible actions are being taken to bring the waitlist to an acceptable level in 2023, as well as supporting all appropriate requests from the RSA for assistance. I have also met with the RSA Chief Executive and Chair to discuss this and other matters.

There has been considerable progress in addressing the long-term staffing issues which have caused this backlog and in increasing capacity at test centres, including the temporary transfer of testers from the NCTS contractor’s Spanish operation last year, increased staff overtime and extensive recruitment of new vehicle inspectors. There are currently 589 testers in place, with 18 more testers commencing training this week and a further 17 expected in the coming weeks. New testers are being assigned to the test centres with the most significant delays.

Just over 48,000 tests were completed last week, comprising 32,316 full tests and 15,832 re-tests. An average of 31,000 full tests were conducted each week last month, a significant increase on figures for December 2022, when tests averaged 25,000 per week. The average waiting period nationally is now just over 26 days and the RSA is confident that a return to the service level agreement waiting period of 12 days will be achieved by July 2023.

In the interim, I am advised that customers seeking test appointments may contact the NCTS directly, by calling 01-4135992 or by availing of the priority waiting list function via the NCT website, www.ncts.ie. In the majority of cases, these vehicle owners are provided with an appointment within 30 days.

Yet, it is still on the way, is it not?

I know, but I am not doing the investigation. I cannot interfere, and nor should the Government interfere in any investigation of that kind. The investigation into that bog slide should be without fear or favour, because it is important. I acknowledge that.

Wind energy and renewables, both onshore and offshore, are key to the country's future. There will be a stronger emphasis on offshore over the next decade. However, a significant degree of onshore wind will still come on stream. There are quite a number of planning applications with An Bord Pleanála.

I do not accept the Deputy's basic premise. I am not quite clear about whether this is what the Deputy was saying, but he seemed to be strongly implying that the Government should intervene in this planning application or that the Government should intervene in planning applications now and then on particular issues. If that were to happen, where would it leave our planning system? First, from a legal framework, that position cannot be taken. At the moment, the Government cannot intervene in a planning decision or a planning application. We cannot adjudicate on it over the heads of the county council or An Bord Pleanála. That is what the Deputy is suggesting to me. The Government cannot do that and I think the Deputy knows that too. It may play well to a particular audience to say, "I called on the Government to interfere here and to stop the planning". I have heard that before on different issues. Those who advocate for that know damn well that the Government cannot interfere with the planning application or with the specifics of a planning case.

I will ask the Minister to check the timeframe in respect of the conclusions of the investigation. One would presume that the conclusion of the investigation would inform any future planning policy in the area. The county council has to take cognisance of any issues in the area. It should do so in respect of any zoning of the area for renewables or any future proposals. That is normally what would happen in a given area if something untoward happened, such as a slide, a collapse etc. They would check if the topography of the terrain or the geology was suitable for a particular development. However, that is fundamentally a matter for the local authority and the established State agencies to arbitrate on.

Again, I said I would check with the relevant Ministers about where the investigation is. However, very often, the opposite of that story can also happen.

The Deputy would be the very first to stand up here if the Government had got involved in the investigation, and the Government of the day would then be accused of cover-up and of influencing the investigation to get the right result that has now facilitated further planning permissions. That is exactly what would happen. If the Government started speaking to the various independent investigators to tell them to hurry up and sort it out quickly because we needed to get a clear landscape in terms of what was to happen, people would start accusing the Government of interfering in an impartial investigation that should be without fear or favour. It should just find out what happened here.

I take the Deputy's point. He made a fair point about the timeliness of the investigation. I accept that point but we are at the mercy - the entire House always is - of any kind of investigation that is external and conducted by an agency or a group of agencies into matters such as this. Once the investigation starts, I do not believe the Government can get involved or interfere in it, but I will come back to the Deputy on the timelines in respect of it.