Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Nolan for her supplementary question. In the first instance, I would love to give an exact date, but unfortunately I cannot because I do not have one. The Deputy referred to public consultation. There were 500 submissions in the round of public consultation to bring about the draft guidelines. Some are very technical in respect of noise and they are being assessed on a bilateral basis with the Department of the Environment, Climate Action and Communications.

With regard to publishing the finalised version, if there is a significant revision of the guidelines, another strategic environmental assessment may be required. That is a distinct possibility. We are engaging proactively to try to resolve this. It is very technical. I, being from a rural community, know exactly what the Deputy referred to because it has been a significant issue in my county also. We need to strike a fair balance for residents and ensure, on the other hand, that we can meet our renewable energy targets.

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