Ireland is facing a fine a multi-million Euro fine over the country’s alleged failure to carry out an environmental study on the operational 59.5MW Derrybrien wind farm in County Galway.
The European Union Advocate General has suggested that the European Court of Justice fine the nation €11,000 per day covering the period since a 2008 ECJ ruling that no “sufficient impact assessment” of the project was ever undertaken.
The EU court found in 2008 that construction of the project, which included the removal of large areas of forest and the extraction of peat on the Cashlaundrumlahan mountain, caused an “environmentally devastating landslide” in 2003.
The Advocate General’s latest opinion comes ahead of another ECJ ruling, which is due in the coming months on the back of the European Commission taking a second case against Ireland over the ongoing alleged failure to carry out an environmental study.
The AG has reaffirmed claims that no EIA has been undertaken and “no concrete measures have been taken with a view to obtaining such an assessment”.
Derrybrien features 70 Vestas V52 turbines and has been operational since 2005. It is owned by Irish utility ESB.
A spokesman for ESB said: “We are aware of the court case between the European Commission and the Irish government, and understand from our discussions with the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government that a final ruling is expected from the European Court of Justice in the coming months.”
A department spokesperson said it is aware of the AG’s opinion and will be making no further comment until the ECJ ruling is released.