James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 10, 92 and 120 together.

I thank Deputy O'Connor for this important question on planning guidelines for solar farms for local authorities. The section of the programme for Government on securing Ireland's future reaffirms Ireland's ambitious targets of 8 GW of solar capacity connected to the grid by 2030, to assist with meeting the requirement of 80% of electricity demand supplied by renewables. Solar energy is a growing source of electricity, with approximately 2.1 GW of solar power capacity currently installed in Ireland. However, further solar capacity is required for Ireland to meet its domestic and international targets. For this reason, my Department is preparing a new national planning statement on solar energy under the new Planning and Development Act 2024. My Department has begun an initial scoping process to identify the component factors relevant to the preparation of the national planning statement for solar energy development, including any appropriate environmental assessment and public consultation requirements and other relevant European obligations such as the renewable energy directive, RED III, which will determine the timeframe for publication of said guidelines.

The scoping process remains at an early stage, but I am satisfied that the existing and evolving planning system, supported by Government policy more generally, provides a sufficiently robust policy and legislative framework to facilitate the roll-out of solar energy development in a sustainable manner and to assist with meeting our renewable electricity requirements while balancing the perspectives of local communities and their needs and allowing for public and stakeholder engagement. In the interim, there are currently no specific planning guidelines in place in respect of solar energy development. Proposals for individual solar energy developments are subject to the statutory requirements of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, and the Planning and Development Act 2024, as amended, in the same manner as other proposed developments, with planning applications made to the relevant local planning authority or An Coimisiún Pleanála on appeal.

See this speech in context