Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I fully accept what the Minister of State is saying. We do not want to tie up planning services in either the local authorities or the commission with speculative meetings with applicants who are saying they might seek planning permission and requesting a preplanning application. I fully acknowledge that point.

My concern, on which we have spoken at length, is that we really need to accelerate the development of renewable energy across all types of sources, including wind, solar, anaerobic digestion, etc. Part of those developments requires the consent of the landowner on which the project is located and there may also be a cabling aspect. Applicants may not know what the exact route of their cabling will be and, therefore, may not be in a position to obtain consent from a landowner, or they might need consent from several landowners, depending on the routing and the location of the grid connection. We are seeking in this Bill to facilitate large-scale residential developments. Energy is another imperative for development in this country. Can the requirement for eligibility be removed for renewable energy development? Not many such applications are speculative. There is a commitment to develop those projects. It is not the same as people saying they might apply for planning permission on a particular plot of land down the road.