I support my colleagues, Senators John Kelly, Catherine Noone and Sean D. Barrett. The Seanad robustly rejects and resents any interference or attempt to silence democratic representation. It is our job to interfere, to engage and to represent the community and public interest. We will not be told by officials in Cork County Council that we cannot make robust representations on planning issues, particularly the planning of wind farms and giant and industrial turbines. We would be negligent if we did not do so.

It is outrageous in the extreme that the tobacco industry has threatened the Government that if it does not back off on plain packaging, it will take the country to the High Court. How dare it do so?

Let us see it in court. We will see how that pans out. We will not back down.

Similarly, the House will not back away from speaking loudly and rejecting IAG's proposal to buy Aer Lingus. As Senator Sean D. Barrett stated, the board will appear before the transport committee today and tell us how the proposal is a great idea, but it has skin in the game and its members stand to make a financial killing from their shareholdings. We must look past that vested interest and put community, national and strategic long-term interests first for towns and cities like Waterford and Cork, the midlands, Mayo, Limerick, Shannon and so on. We will not sell out. People would like to silence us, but we will not be silenced. We have an expert in Senator Sean D. Barrett, an independent and credible economist who has nothing to gain from his views. We do not always agree, but he speaks on behalf of the public interest at all times.

Public patience is wearing thin as regards the planning of wind farms. We need new statutory and binding guidelines that are coherent and consistently applied across the country. It would be timely to invite the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to the House in the coming weeks to announce the new guidelines.