John Gormley

 98. Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his intentions in regard to updating wind farm development guidelines for planning authorities. [16640/03]
 
   Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Mr. Gallagher): My Department published Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Wind Farm Development in September 1996.  The guidelines - a copy of which is available in the Oireachtas Library - are intended to facilitate implementation of Government policy in relation to the development of renewable sources of energy.  They are designed to assist planning authorities in making suitable provision for wind farm development in their development plans and to ensure a consistency of approach throughout the country to the treatment of planning applications for such development.
  The guidelines are currently being reviewed in the light of experience since they were issued to ensure that they continue to be relevant and useful.  As part of the review, a public consultation process has been undertaken.  All comments received will be taken into consideration in the preparation of revised guidelines which it is intended to issue later in the year.

104. Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if his Department carried out an analysis of the possible conversion of peat fired power stations to biomass fuel; and the research projects under way examining either small scale or large scale biomass heat and power generation projects. [16013/03] (more…)

75. Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources his views on whether, in regard to the potential development of a wind farm in Derrybrien, County Galway, under the AER V project, there should be a replanting obligation imposed on the developer as a condition of the felling licence in this case; the methods by which such a replanting obligation would have to be carried out; and the reasons for its imposition. [10858/03] (more…)

324. Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if the cost of resolving industrial disputes at the ESB’s obsolete peat-fired power plants is covered by the public service obligation in relation to peat-powered electricity. [4635/03]
 
   Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources (Mr. D. Ahern): The public service obligations order provides for the additional costs of construction by ESB of two new peat stations by 2005 and the phased closure of six existing peat stations within specified time frames
  The PSO order does not provide for the recovery of additional costs incurred by ESB related to the resolution of industrial disputes, which exceed the terms of the programme to achieve competitiveness and transformation agreement negotiated by the company and the ESB group of unions.

   Mr. Gormley: I have heard some justifications for the SSIAs, but Deputy Ardagh’s excuse that they are actually a health measure took the biscuit. 
The excise duty on cigarettes does not go far enough.  This issue led me to become involved in the environmental movement.  I was always passionately opposed to cigarette smoking and its effects.  We see those effects in terms of health. (more…)