Charles Stanley-Smith, Chair of An Taisce The National Trust for Ireland said: “An Taisce appealed both wind farms to An Bord Pleanála on environmental concerns and we now have one wind farm with planning permission but no grid connection and one wind farm with a grid connection and no planning permission. An Taisce is calling for a review of the Gate system to break this impasse and allow a second gate for connections to wind farms with planning permission.

“We further need a National Spatial Strategy for Wind Energy that prioritises Environmental concerns for selection of suitable areas for wind farms and is tied to a Connection Strategy that prioritises connectivity to these suitable areas. This calls for a comprehensively integrated system between the Commission for Energy Regulation, The Department of Environment and Planning Authorities.”

He continued: “We have a target of 40% renewable energy electricity by 2020, we haven’t even achieved our 2010 target of 15%. Last year in fact, fossil fuel generated electricity increased while that of renewable energy decreased. This flies in the face of our climate change commitments and does nothing to improve the three main pillars of Irish and EU energy policy: security of supply, energy efficiency and competitiveness. We urgently need strategic thinking in our provision of renewable energy”.