We don’t have the resources to look after our resources!

Luke Flanagan MEP  has commented that while individual citizens pay their own way to attend vital meetings on the future of our energy resources, our government and its department of Energy ‘have not got the resources to attend’!!!

Today, Monday June 15th, while attending a meeting with the EU Commission (DG Energy) on proposed major developments in Ireland such as an interconnector to France and the UK, wind-farms in the midlands, and other high level infrastructure, I discovered that there was no-one there from our national government to represent the interests of those who elected them.

Two individuals had travelled at their own expense (and not for the first time) to be at this meeting, which meant that the people at least had a voice; against that, ALL the wind-farm developers were represented, as were the French and UK governments. But no-one from the Irish government.

It will be argued that a member of staff from the Permanent Representation of Ireland to the EU was there and this is indeed true. However, when asked the most basic of questions she had to apologise and say that she was there as a note-taker mostly.

This is beyond shameful, this is dereliction of duty, this is our own government washing its hands of issues that have major implications for the country. Two individuals take the time, trouble and expense to travel to Brussels, yet our government feels that there is no need to take part. This gave the developers free rein but then you’d have to wonder, given its record on the even bigger issue of TTIP and ISDS, given how much they are in thrall to the multinationals and even the brass-plate ‘companies’ of the IFSC, is that exactly what this government desires?

Without the presence of the Save The Midlands group of volunteers, a number of very important and pertinent questions would not have been raised, questions such as who gains on Carbon Credits if this project goes ahead?

Without them we would not now know that the whole Greenwire project to connect midlands wind-farm electricity production to the UK consumer, is still very much alive as a project and being driven hard by a number of vested interests.

This meeting was vital to our future. Why were we not represented?