Michael Fitzmaurice: Warns Wind Turbines Are Splitting Rural Communities
Michael Fitzmaurice spoke on 27 November 2025 about onshore wind turbine development and said he supports the bill under debate. He warned that current turbine deployment is dividing rural communities, criticised delays in regulation, and said he favours offshore wind.
Michael Fitzmaurice opened by welcoming the bill and stating his support for it, while criticising what he called the usual government responses and delays to earlier proposals.
He described how applications for turbines are creating divisions in communities around Leach, Clumberton and parts of County Rescommon, with people who once worked together now split over offers of money for turbines. He said the presence of turbines is having unforgivable consequences for local clubs, elderly care and community cohesion.
He said he fully supports offshore turbines as a huge opportunity, but argued that the necessary DMAPs for the West Coast were not completed and blamed delays by the minister apparent at the time. He criticised a lack of commitment in the Dáil to ensure turbines are placed far enough from houses.
He raised concerns about large-scale bog excavation by Bordnemona and rapid turbine roll-outs, questioned who ultimately owns wind farms, and said communities are often left to unite, lodge objections or raise money to fight developments in the courts. He urged a straight vote on the bill and expressed doubt that amendments would resolve the issues.
Support for the bill
Michael Fitzmaurice opened by welcoming the bill and stating his support for it, while criticising what he called the usual government responses and delays to earlier proposals.
Community impact and local divisions
He described how applications for turbines are creating divisions in communities around Leach, Clumberton and parts of County Rescommon, with people who once worked together now split over offers of money for turbines. He said the presence of turbines is having unforgivable consequences for local clubs, elderly care and community cohesion.
Offshore preference and DMAP delays
He said he fully supports offshore turbines as a huge opportunity, but argued that the necessary DMAPs for the West Coast were not completed and blamed delays by the minister apparent at the time. He criticised a lack of commitment in the Dáil to ensure turbines are placed far enough from houses.
Ownership, boglands and legal options
He raised concerns about large-scale bog excavation by Bordnemona and rapid turbine roll-outs, questioned who ultimately owns wind farms, and said communities are often left to unite, lodge objections or raise money to fight developments in the courts. He urged a straight vote on the bill and expressed doubt that amendments would resolve the issues.
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Transcript
First of all, I want to welcome the bill, and I want to say I support it. The first thing I want to say is what we heard from the government side is just the usual palaver. I remember Sinn Féin bringing a bill forward on the Shannon to have one body over it and it was kicked down the road for the nine months. We never saw it to this day. That is the reality of what is going on here. I think the people out there should understand this. We are after listening to places right around this country, in Leach or wherever, that people are in trouble with wind turbines. The facts are that, unfortunately, when those vultures come to an area, some people are going to make money because they will offer £30,000 or £40,000 for the turbine, and undoubtedly people will accept it. But the consequences of what it is doing to communities around this country is unforgivable. Because I see in Clumberton, I see in all parts of County Rescommon where there are 11 different applications on at the moment. We get calls from all over the country. There is a corridor, you could say, from above Tume and Belclere, right down Le Valley, Clumberton, Hiddin, Sir Glenamady, Hiddin on. And what is it doing? Communities that work together, put football pitches together, helped elderly people together, and it is splitting them down the middle. That is the facts of what is going on in every community around this country. And I am here since the end of the 40th. I have listened to when the guidelines are going to come and come and come. And let no one tell me that the bill that Brian Stanley put in, I don't know how many years ago it was when he put it in, that it couldn't have been looked at since, and that we would know the type of regulations or guidelines or whatever we are going to do. So what we will do now again is, we will have another look at it. And the facts are, and I think people should understand it out there, the commitment isn't in this Dáil to make sure that wind turbines are far away enough from your house. I believe in turbines offshore, 100%. I believe it is a huge opportunity, but of course that opportunity was where the DMAPs for the West Coast weren't done, so we can't kick off the whole process. Minister Ryan, supposed to be a Green Minister, was over it at the time, and for four years them DMAPs were left there and never done. That's the first part of the jigsaw in getting it going. And the sad reality is, and let people out there that are looking in tonight understand, there's only one way you can do it. You have as a community to get together, which is a sad thing for a politician to have to say. Unite as a group in your area. You have to put in objections, and do you know what? With the way that onboard Pinal are granting these turbines, or these wind farms as they call them, the only other solution then the people have to do, which is a sad reality, is try and raise money together, and try and fight it in the courts. That's some statement coming from people that are supposed to be legislators. We're supposed to be here to listen to the people and to support the people, but instead of that, we'll kick the ball down the road another bit, and sure look at something else will crop up then and we'll kick it another bit. It's nearly like that game they play in Kerry where they throw the ball down around bins, and sure we'll never find it. And then we have another situation that has developed, and it's happening in parts of Riscommon, where people gave up their bogs to Bordnemona years ago, and Bordnemona was set up for proper reasons, I've no problem with that. But they are going in now, digging up massive areas of bogs, and they are putting up turbines, and they don't even want to be talking about that there used to be a turf for bog or anything at one time. Oh no, we're the clean green company now, and the amount of turbines that they are putting up around the country is phenomenal. When I see in parts of Riscommon, some of the crowds that put it up, this is like turning money, because what you do you put it up, roll or go on for a few years, set it on. How much of our turbines and how much of our wind farms are owned by Fardiners at the moment? That's the one thing we need to look at. And all I can say is, in my opinion, people tonight that are looking in, I support that bill, I would ask you to put it to a vote, Deputy, because amendments to me don't wash. All I can say to them is, the fight will have to go on, but in my opinion, the commitment is there to resolve this issue. Thank you.