"Well, I don't agree - and if you read the statistics about wind power you'll see because of its nature (intermittent, space needed, windy site, etc) it is only ever viewed as a minority supply."

Define minority! 15% of a country's needs may be less than the coal output but it's hardly a minor contribution is it? Bandying around words like 'minority' without stating the figures is the typical ploy of the propaganorist.

"Have you ever been near any of these things, personally I wouldn't want to live near one one (and I say this as someone who has an electricity pylon about 60m away at the bottom of the garden)."

I assume you bought the house with the pylon there. Yes, I've been close to these things - I'm a hillwalker. I love them and everytime I see them I am moved at their grace and beauty. Honest! It moves me to think that for their work a coal/nuclear facility isn't killing my kids quite so much.

In the 1930's Ireland's electricity was 98% renewable. It nearly all came from hydro power on the River Shannon. Ireland is (fairly) committed to returning to this state of affairs with a large scale return to renewable energy of which wind power is just a part.

Due to the good coasts enjoyed by the UK and Ireland wind power generated electricity is cheaper than it is in other European countries. In 1998 the cost was 5 cent and 7 cent per kWh in Ireland and the UK respectively, whereas in Germany it was nearly 9 cent. Wind energy is still more expensive than 'normally' generated power, but this is only because the infrastructure for the more traditional generators is in place and has already paid for itself - and in fact was heavily subsidised by the tax payer in the first place.

Source: "Strategy for Intensifying Wind Energy Development" from the "Renewable Energy Strategy Group"