irishbucsfan wrote: » What are you on about? Have I said we should just scrap foreign investment somewhere and just forgotten that I wrote it? This is a case where a locally owned company invested a lot of money into renewable energy and were directly opposed, off the books, by a minister under the orders of a foreign owned golf course. Do you have an alternative for developing Irish business? Do you have an alternative for renewable energy? Or is a foreign owned golf course more important to the nation?
irishbucsfan wrote: » I’m fully aware of that. What is the impact of non-renewable energy on our landscape, long-term?
irishbucsfan wrote: » On another note, I’ve always wondered if renewable energy is a necessary long term alternative, why aren’t we working with Irish companies to try to improve the appearance of wind farms? Wonder if there’s an avenue for that, do they have to be big ugly white things in order to work?!
Zzippy wrote: » We could put them offshore, as in the Irish Sea - we have huge scope for offshore wind and some of the best conditions in the world for it. I think tidal and wave energy will be huge in the future, again we have some of the most suitable conditions anywhere for that. But yeah, they do have to be massive white things AFAIK.
Zzippy wrote: » Non-renewables are causing climate change, which will probably mean more severe weather for Ireland - wetter summers, stormier winters. How that impacts on our landscape is anyone's guess - I think Doonbeg golf course might be one of the first casualties, incidentally. Unless Trump gets to "build the wall". We could put them offshore, as in the Irish Sea - we have huge scope for offshore wind and some of the best conditions in the world for it. I think tidal and wave energy will be huge in the future, again we have some of the most suitable conditions anywhere for that. But yeah, they do have to be massive white things AFAIK.
prawnsambo wrote: » The problem with windfarms in the past (and I'm not sure if this has been corrected since) is the issue with connection to the national grid. Apparently it is very difficult (or was) to regulate the generated power and to store it when it's not needed.
Interested Observer wrote: » It hasn't. Ireland only has one pump storage facility and it's been there longer than the wind farms have. The inverse is also true, when the wind isn't blowing they produce nothing. A big integrated European grid could be a potential solution as you'd think the wind will always be blowing somewhere.
stephen_n wrote: » No I think you are the one just making up stuff, because Leo never said he opposed it, he made enquires and was quite clear that he didn’t believe he had any impact on the outcome. For someone who doesn’t like people misrepresenting what he says, you’re fairly good at it yourself.
prawnsambo wrote: » Improved battery technology is the gold standard I suppose. I presume the pump storage facility you mentioned is Turlough Hill?
irishbucsfan wrote: » Ah yes I’m sure he was instructed to call the board in order to voice Trumps overwhelming support for the project. Good man. I suppose it was always going to turn out that the Housing Minister instructed that a letter should be sent out last week to remind everyone that elected officials shouldn’t be discussing planning applications only for the Taoiseach to brag about doing it the following week. Great joined up thinking there!
irishbucsfan wrote: » Ah yes I’m sure he was instructed to call the board in order to voice Trumps overwhelming support for the project. Good man.
irishbucsfan wrote: » I suppose it was always going to turn out that the Housing Minister instructed that a letter should be sent out last week to remind everyone that elected officials shouldn’t be discussing planning applications only for the Taoiseach to brag about doing it the following week. Great joined up thinking there!
stephen_n wrote: » I’m sure he wasn’t, nor did he ever claim that either. You’d want to be careful these wind farms don’t blow over all your strawmen! The minister for tourism making enquires on behalf of a company directly involved in tourism in the region, absolutely shocking behavior.
[Deleted User] wrote: » This says a lot more about where you are coming from than it does about what Leo may or may not have done / said. That letter was because local authorities were openly discussing planning applications in committee. Neither Trump nor Leo were making a planning application. You have absolutely no clue what Leo said or who he said it to nor in what context. It's becoming apparent what you would like to think happened, and I'm prepared to join you in outrage if he made any demands of the local council, but his candour on the subject suggests that this isn't the case.
irishbucsfan wrote: » The council have come out and said it is very very uncommon. So yes, it is absolutely shocking.
irishbucsfan wrote: » This is a major problem in Ireland,
[Deleted User] wrote: » Almost as big a problem as people rushing to judgement without a whiff of the facts.
sydthebeat wrote: » i work in the private sector but deal with planners and planning applications everyday. politicians inquiring about, or making representations on, a planning application isnt commonplace, but not at all unusual. generally if they are requested to by an external party they will representations on behalf of them, most generally pro the application, but somethings anti. at the end of the day, the board of councillors is the planners boss, and the councillors will have more direct access to a planner than joe public. personally i dont find it unusual that the minister for tourism would contact a county council to inquire about a planning application that may have an effect on in a high tourism area. The planner may have informed the minister during that phone call that the application would be refused and/or the minister may have requested that the impact on tourism be more strenuously tested. i would have my doubts that, post crash and planning tribunals, a minister would have been so forward as to demand a refusal.
prawnsambo wrote: » Yeah, I would have been involved in planning applications in the past and asked councillors to find out which way the wind was blowing. If you can get a heads up on extra information being required, you can speed up the application by submitting it before it's asked for. Otherwise, you get the 'clock' reset and the application can drag on. Pretty normal stuff because councillors have much better access to planners than Joe Public.
prawnsambo wrote: » Does this not depend on what Leo was asked? If he was asked a simple "what's the story, is planning going to be approved?", which question he then put to the CC, then it's hardly worth getting our knickers in a twist over. If on the other hand it's "Can this be stopped?" which then was translated to the CC as "Can you stop this?", then we are indeed not talking about normal politics.
pickarooney wrote: » Is there any reason I cannot award the permission?
irishbucsfan wrote: » Why would you bother with a county councillor in the appropriate county... would you not just call the Minister? Or do you not have his number?
prawnsambo wrote: » I think you're being facetious, but just in case, the answer is you talk to the guy you know. And who knows the planners.
Zzippy wrote: » Out of curiosity, what gave it away?
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