'If a wind turbine affects even one person negatively, I’m against them'
Councillors from across the political spectrum voiced their concerns about wind turbines at a recent meeting. Photo: iStock
Councillors from across the political spectrum voiced their concerns about wind turbines at a recent meeting of the Dungarvan-Lismore District Council. In 2024, the Taoiseach at the time, Simon Harris, said that updated guidelines on wind farms would be published by the end of the year. Waterford City and County Council confirmed that as of April 2026, they have received no official updated guidelines on wind turbines since 2006.
Councillor Tom Cronin urged Waterford City and County Council to contact the minister to share guidelines around wind turbines with local authorities. He said the guidelines should have been published “six or seven years ago”.
He suggested that WCCC should not grant planning permission for wind turbines in the county until these guidelines are produced.
“There’s rural people out there, pulling their hair out trying to survive in rural Ireland without having to listen to noise from those wind turbines,” he said.
Cllr Cronin shared his opinion on wind turbines with the council, saying, “They’re gone past their sell-by date.”
He went on to refer to comments made by US President Donald Trump about how wind turbines are disposed of when they are no longer operational. Although 96% of wind turbines can be recycled, the blades pose a challenge to scientists due to their composition, and they cannot currently be recycled.
Cllr Geoghegan said, “Now that Councillor Cronin is actually quoting President Trump, I don’t know where we’re going to go from here.”
He continued, “There are very few places where you can put wind turbines that won’t have an impact on somebody. The reality is, they’re extremely divisive. It’s causing rancour and division in communities. Landowners are falling out with their neighbours, all of that is happening.”
Councillor Thomas Phelan asked if the council could delay adjudications on planning until the guidelines are published.
Council Executive Aisling O’Sullivan said, “We can’t stop anybody from making a planning application, and when we do get a planning application, we have to adjudicate on it. It's part of legislation.”
She went on to say, “I do hear what you’re saying about the guidelines.”
She told the council that the planning department was due to receive guidelines on wind turbines since 2019.
She said these guidelines would be “very much welcomed”.
“The nature, the size, the type of wind turbines have changed a lot in 20 years.”
