Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

While the matter raised is a commercial matter for Bord na Móna, my Department understands that the company is preparing a new planning application for the proposed 150 MW Derryaad wind project and is currently consulting with the local community and other relevant stakeholders. The outcome of this extensive community outreach will inform the project and its scope. My Department also understands that Bord na Móna intends to submit the new planning application for the project to An Bord Pleanála under the provisions of the Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Act 2006 in early 2023. Bord na Móna has additional information publicly available on the dedicated project website: www.derryaddwindfarm.ie.

By way of a broader response, I am very supportive of the strategic direction Bord na Móna is taking. The company is proving itself successful as it moves from brown to green. I believe wind farms on the likes of former bogs can be built in a way that is sensitive. It will not be done without complications and challenges, but my understanding is that the court decision, which quashed the original planning application, related to an issue concerning whether it was necessary for Bord na Móna to precisely identify the tip height of the turbines. My understanding is that some of those issues have been resolved. It is now a matter for the planning authorities to decide the complex issues often encountered around these projects. The broad direction and success that Bord na Móna is deriving from its renewable energy strategy is something I welcome and support.

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