Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Ó Cuív for raising this Topical Issue matter. At the outset, I would like to highlight that the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has responsibility for planning guidelines for onshore wind energy development. Following a recent transfer of functions from this Department, the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications has responsibility for guidelines for offshore wind energy development in the context of that Department’s responsibility for marine planning.

With regard to onshore wind energy, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is currently undertaking a focused review of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines. The review is addressing a number of key aspects of the guidelines including setback distance, noise, shadow flicker, community obligation, community dividend and grid connections. The review aims to strike an appropriate balance between addressing the concerns of local communities, as the Deputy raised, by ensuring there is greater and earlier community engagement by wind energy developers, while maintaining Ireland’s ability to deliver on its binding climate and renewable energy policy obligations. It is envisaged that the revised guidelines will provide greater consistency of approach in planning for onshore wind energy development and will provide certainty and clarity to the planning system, the wind industry and local communities. The Department of Housing, in conjunction with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, which has primary responsibility for environmental noise matters, has been working to advance guidance on the noise aspect of guidelines having regard to, inter alia, the revised 2030 target to generate up to 80% of our electricity from renewable sources. This work is substantially complete. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, in conjunction with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, will make any further changes to the draft guidelines that are deemed necessary or appropriate in the wake of this work, with a view to concluding the review of the guidelines at the earliest possible opportunity.

With regard to guidelines for offshore wind energy developments, the Maritime Area Planning Act 2021, known as the MAP Act, introduced a comprehensive new marine management regime for Ireland’s maritime area including forward planning, authorisations and enforcement. The MAP Act includes provisions for the development of statutory marine planning guidelines. The offshore wind energy marine planning guidelines are the first to be developed under these provisions. The purpose of these guidelines will be to set out the various elements that make up offshore wind energy developments, creating a common understanding among stakeholders; to clarify the decision-making processes, requirements and organisational roles under the MAP Act as they relate to development permissions for fixed foundation offshore wind energy; and to inform offshore wind energy planning applications as well as the subsequent process of making development permission determinations, particularly with regard to the requirements of the national marine planning framework.

Offshore wind energy is an emerging industry in Ireland with all actors working in a new legislative framework, much of which is being applied for the first time. In this context, the offshore wind energy marine planning guidelines are being informed by related existing guidelines and guidance across government, as well as lessons learnt from other jurisdictions. Discussions are ongoing with teams in relevant Departments in this regard. A dedicated and regularly convened working group including representatives from the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, An Bord Pleanála, MARA and the Marine Institute Ireland is supporting development of the offshore guidelines. In addition, the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications is seeking to provide more expert resources to support development of the guidelines.

In accordance with the requirements, the guidelines are subject to a strategic environmental assessment and appropriate assessment before they can be finalised, and an independent consultant has been retained to help to deliver these assessments. As part of these processes, the draft offshore wind energy marine planning guidelines will be subject to public consultation once prepared.

I will come back in with a supplementary comment about the issue around public participation and striking the balance about which the Deputy is quite right in terms of the genuine concerns of local residents and the increasing size of turbines. Again, it will be welcome news to the Deputy that the new guidelines for onshore energy will be published shortly.

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