Darren Sweeney

Hi, Clare, how are you?

I suppose, visually, it's fairly clear what it will look like.

And I suppose, just to start out...

we're not anti-wind, we're not anti-transition to renewables.

We're very much in favour of it.

And just from a personal perspective, I've been involved in renewable energy for nearly 15 years now.

So it's not really, it actually isn't about what they look like because, you know, we see them dotted around our countryside every time we get into the car and the Northwest, whether it be Donegal or Leitrim, you know, you don't have to look very far to see them.

So the visual side of it doesn't really bother us so much, I suppose.

One of the big things we are concerned about, and one of the things that we would like to, I suppose I'm getting a wee bit sentimental as I get older, and I'm a dad, so I'm more conscious of the next generation than my own.

I really want to be sure that we have a kind of a real no regrets approach with regards our transition.

We know now more than ever, considering everything that's going on, that we need to have an alternative source of energy.

That goes without saying.

But get back to your question, I suppose.

The scale isn't insignificant, I suppose, you know, particularly my area where I'm from, which is North Leitrim, just outside Manor Hamilton.

You know, we feel like we've been and this is more of a local opinion than my own as such.

We feel like we've been pushed around a little bit over the last number of years with regards achieving some of these targets.

So, you know, we've forestation has become a serious issue with us.

We've had issues regarding fracking and now

Wind farms has also been a serious issue with us.

I wouldn't say serious issue, but has been very prominent on our skylines and also in and around our communities.