Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue and the support of his party for renewable energy projects which he emphasised at the beginning of his contribution. It is important that I clarify two things. First, what I issued last week were not new guidelines on wind energy developments but proposed draft revisions to the existing 2006 wind energy development guidelines. They run to over 100 pages and are significant. The revisions focus specifically on the issues of noise, setback and shadow flicker. I initiated a targeted review of these specific aspects of the guidelines earlier this year. The 2006 guidelines will remain in force and planning authorities will be required to continue to have regard to them in making decisions on wind energy planning applications until the draft guidelines are finalised in 2014.

Second, I emphasise that last week's announcement was only the commencement of a public consultation exercise on the draft revisions to the guidelines. I want to ensure everyone has an opportunity to contribute his or her views before the guidelines are finalised next year. There is major interest in the public consultation process and I look forward to receiving and considering evidence-based submissions on the draft revisions by 21 February 2014.

Following consideration of the submissions made during this public consultation period, the revisions to the guidelines will be finalised and issued to planning authorities under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended. The draft revisions to the wind energy development guidelines which I put out to public consultation last week propose three main changes. These include the setting of a more stringent absolute noise limit, day and night, of 40 dB for future wind energy developments. I emphasise that this is an outdoor limit and, in general, the reduction of noise levels between the outside of a dwelling and inside would be approximately 10 dB.

The second change is a mandatory setback of 500 m between a wind turbine and the nearest dwelling for amenity considerations. Under previous guidelines, that setback was not mandatory. The third is that a condition be attached to all future planning permissions for wind farms to ensure there will be no shadow flicker at any dwelling within 10 rotor diameters of a wind turbine. If shadow flicker does occur, the wind energy project developer or operator will be required to take necessary measures such as turbine shut down for the period necessary to eliminate the shadow flicker.

The purpose of the guidelines, when finalised, is to protect the interests of communities and to ensure the development of renewable energy infrastructure takes place appropriately, having regard to the relevant social and environmental factors. As the new requirements on noise levels, setback and shadow flicker will apply to all future planning applications for wind energy developments, both supplying electricity to the national grid and for export, it is important that they strike the appropriate balance.

Regarding export projects, the Minister has not completed the intergovernmental agreement. There was an initial signing, but the agreement has not been completed. There must be a strategic environmental assessment in the context of an overall policy and planning framework to underpin any arrangement that may be made with the United Kingdom. There will be a strategic environmental assessment of the export proposals. These are under consideration by the Minister, Deputy Pat Rabbitte. This is a draft proposal which has been put out to public consultation. There is huge interest in it and I expect to receive many submissions, to which I will give careful consideration before adopting the guidelines. I will need a period of time to consider them.

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