Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 July 2015
852. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his views on the opinion of the head of an organisation (details supplied) regarding set-back distances of up to 1,500 m for wind turbines from residential areas, and the effects, if any, on health from wind turbine noise; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28505/15]
View answerMy Department is currently conducting a review of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines focused specifically on noise, proximity and shadow flicker. As part of this process, my Department wrote to the Department of Health in September 2013 inviting any input that they might have on the health aspects, if any, of wind farms. Preliminary feedback was received from a Deputy Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of the Department of Health which indicated that wind turbines do not represent a threat to public health. This feedback was based on a 2009 literature review conducted by the Australian Government’s National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).
The Deputy CMO subsequently wrote to my Department in April 2014 to advise that Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council had updated their evidence in relation to this matter. In that letter, the Deputy CMO stated ‘This review again supports previous advice that there is no reliable or consistent evidence that wind farms directly cause adverse health effects in humans.’ The Deputy CMO also referred to the limited number of peer reviewed articles and research in this area and that Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council may recommend further high quality research. Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council released a further statement in February 2015 stating that ‘After careful consideration and deliberation of the body of evidence, NHMRC concludes that there is currently no consistent evidence that wind farms cause adverse health effects in humans.’
My Department will continue to liaise with the Department of Health, particularly in relation to the findings of any further international peer reviewed research on this subject. The Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources has also been made aware of this ongoing dialogue in the context of the implementation of their renewable energy policy (including wind energy).
It is intended that the revisions to the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines will be finalised as soon as possible.
