James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 14, 39, 85, 532 and 533 together.

My Department is currently undertaking a focused review of the 2006 wind energy development guidelines which will inform a new national planning statement on wind energy under the new Planning and Development Act 2024. The review is addressing a number of key aspects of the guidelines including noise, setback distance, shadow flicker, community obligation, community dividend and grid connections. The key policy area here is with the Department of the Climate, Environment and Energy, which has primary responsibility for environmental noise matters and has been working to advance guidance on the noise aspect of the national planning statement, which is highly technical in nature. This work is now well under way.

In addition to work on the noise aspects of the national planning statement, the evolving policy and technical context including the new Planning and Development Act 2024 and the revision of the national planning framework reinforces the need to ensure that the finalised guidelines, once issued, are fit for purpose. In line with EU directive requirements, a strategic environmental assessment, SEA, is being carried out on the draft national planning statement as part of the review process. In this regard, my Department intends to undertake a public consultation on updated draft guidelines as part of the SEA process whereby all interested parties will have an opportunity to submit observations on the draft national planning statement. A finalised national planning statement will be prepared following detailed analysis and consideration of the submissions received during the consultation phase.

My Department is working towards concluding the finalisation of the national planning statement having regard to the intended public consultation and the impact of associated reforms and reviews including the revision of the NPF. The current 2006 wind energy development guidelines remain in force, pending the finalisation of that review.

See this speech in context