Aontú TD raises concerns over Mayo windfarm proposals in the Dáil

Aontú TD for Mayo, Paul Lawless, this week used a Dáil speaking slot on Data Centres to raise concerns over "massive" wind turbines planned for Mayo.

Speaking during the week, Deputy Lawless said:

"The government is making Ireland the data centre of Europe. Data centres in this country are guzzling our electricity.

In 2024 data centres used 22% of all electricity in Ireland.

This is putting huge pressure on the grid. These data centres are largely located in the east of the country, while the west is being bombarded with wind farms in order to feed electricity to the east. This is not fair.

Data centres are paying much less per unit of electricity and for connection charges than regular households are paying".

Deputy Lawless continued: "This is a scandal. Because government policy is allowing them pay less, this is having an inflationary effect on household customers to the point where there are now 318,000 people in electricity arrears and where Ireland has the most expensive electricity prices in Europe"

"In my constituency we’ve had a number of planning applications go in for wind farms recently.

Massive wind turbines - taller than the statue of liberty, taller than the spire in Dublin or Big Ben in London. They are being located dangerously close to homes and businesses in the area.

The community consultation around these developments is not being done properly. In some cases, its private appointment only rather than a public meeting between the developer and the community".

"The planning guidelines around turbines are twenty years out of date, but the government have consistently resisted Aontú’s calls to publish new guidelines.

In the Dáil this week I challenged the government on when these new guidelines be introduced.

I'm glad to say that the deadline for submissions for the Muingmore wind farm has been extended to August 7, after questions were raised by my party leader Peadar Tóibín over the narrow timeframe allowed for people to object in the Irish language.

Whether its north Mayo or south Mayo I will be fighting these monstrosity developments on every front", concluded Lawless.