Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Under the Act, each planning authority, city or county development plan must set out an overall strategy for the proper planning and sustainable development of the area concerned. That is what local councils would do. Section 10 of the Act requires a development plan to include, inter alia, objectives for the provision or facilitation of the provision of infrastructure, including energy facilities. Many local authorities have developed renewable strategies for their areas in this context.

As with many development types for which there are no specific planning guidelines, in making decisions on planning applications for solar farms, planning authorities and the board must consider the proper planning and sustainable development of the area, having regard to the provisions of the local development plan; any submissions and observations received; and the relevant ministerial or Government policies, including any relevant guidelines issued by the Department. Planning authorities must then make their own decisions based on the specific merits or otherwise of individual planning applications.

As Ministers with responsibility for planning, our role is to ensure that a development is facilitated in a planned, sustained and considered way. Most of the policies are set by the Department of the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Deputy Denis Naughten, which determines the scale, scope and financial viability of such proposed developments.

There are not as many planning applications coming forward as the Deputy stated. There is speculation and talk about them but there are not many applications coming through yet.

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