Wind farm protesters to gather outside Wind Energy Association meeting today
Rural residents opposed to wind farms are planning to protest this morning outside a meeting of the Irish Wind Energy Association in Kilkenny.
The protesters say wind is not the viable source of energy that its promoters claim.
Yesterday, permission was granted to a wind farm in Co Offaly where nine turbines are due to be constructed, after An Bord Pleanála gave the go ahead, with conditions.
There are 216 wind farms online and operational in 27 counties on the island of Ireland.
Adrian O'Neill from the group Old Leighlin Against Wind Turbines in Co Carlow said: "(Today's meeting) is a show of strength from rural residents from Donegal to Cork who have been campaigning against the over-zealous development of wind farms being imposed on small rural communities."
He added evidence from Germany showed that wind energy was not sustainable.
"Germany has pumped something in the region of €7bn into renewables in the last 15 years, and €2bn of that has gone into wind energy.
"The (German authorities) have admitted that wind energy polciy has been an abject failure. We want to stop that from happening (here)."
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