Balanced debate on wind energy
Senator Keane calls for a fact-based debate on wind energy, supporting it while warning against scaremongering and noting that scale and reliability matter.
I do. The issue should be debated in the House as quickly as possible, since some believe that they are punching bags for conservative forces. The Senator has been ploughing a lonely furrow, but it is not as lonely now.
I stood to discuss the wind. Senator Kelly mentioned that he had watched last night's "Prime Time" programme.
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Senator Keane has been blown off course.
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I also watched it. Senator Kelly forgot to mention what the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Rabbitte, stated on the programme. We must be careful about wind. A debate is necessary, but we must also ensure that we have the facts. I am a supporter of wind energy. I do not want there to be scaremongering before all of the facts are available. Size matters in wind energy. Small may be beautiful, but the wind might not blow all of the time.
The conference in Dublin Castle on 21 and 22 June will be a major event. It is the first time that there will be such a large open forum on this matter in Ireland. I urge everyone to become informed instead of scaremongering. As the Minister stated, a woman wrote to him - actually, I do not know if she wrote, but Senators can check what he said on television - and claimed that her hair was falling out because of fracking in Leitrim. There is no fracking in Leitrim, and there probably will not be. Scaremongering is not welcome.