Dáil debates

Thursday, 11 June 2015

Other Questions

Wind Energy Guidelines

10:30 am

Photo of Catherine MurphyCatherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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10. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the reason there has been such an extreme delay in the issuing of updated planning guidelines governing wind farms; when he will be signing the new guidelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22318/15]

Photo of Catherine MurphyCatherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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This is simply to find out why there is such delay in the updated planning guidelines on wind farms.

Photo of Alan KellyAlan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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In December 2013, my Department published proposed draft revisions to the noise, setbacks and shadow flicker aspects of the 2006 wind energy development guidelines. These draft revisions proposed the setting of a more stringent day and night noise limit of 40 decibels for future wind energy developments; a mandatory minimum setback of 500 m between a wind turbine and the nearest dwelling for amenity considerations; and the complete elimination of shadow flicker between wind turbines and neighbouring dwellings.

The public consultation process was initiated on these proposed draft revisions to the guidelines, which ran until 21 February 2014. My Department received submissions from over 7,500 organisations and members of the public during this public consultation process, which was one of the largest ever.

It is intended that the revisions to the 2006 wind energy development guidelines will be finalised very soon. In this regard, account has to be taken of the extensive response to the public consultation in framing the final guidelines. Further work is also advancing to develop technical appendices to assist planning authorities with the practical application of the noise measurement aspects of the wind guidelines. That technical work is currently being concluded and is quite technical, as the Deputy will appreciate.

The revisions to the wind energy development guidelines 2006, when finalised, will be issued under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended. Planning authorities and, where applicable, An Bord Pleanála must have regard to guidelines issued under section 28 in the performance of their functions under the planning Acts.

Photo of Catherine MurphyCatherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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I was one of those who made a submission. The very fact there was this level of interest shows that people wanted ground rules before there was to be large and industrial-scale wind farms, for which there are already applications in place. Part of the reason people made submissions was to ensure there was a basis and yet major applications have gone in. One application, for example, straddling a number of counties, including County Kildare, has gone to An Bord Pleanála under strategic developments. I would have thought that if something was a strategic development, the Minister would actually set out a basis for it. The guidelines are the very least that should be required. I accept that the matter is complex, the Minister wants to get it right and there are technical matters. The problem is that events are overtaking us in terms of planning applications and there is extreme urgency in getting this concluded.

Photo of Alan KellyAlan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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I take on board the Deputy's comments. I cannot comment on an individual application, as she will appreciate, although I accept that there is a need to bring in the guidelines very quickly and that there is a need for clarity. I am well aware of the volume of applications across the country and these guidelines are necessary. It is one of the largest projects in terms of guidelines that our Department has ever undertaken, given the volume of submissions. I would also stress that it is quite technical. We cannot approach it in a one-size-fits-all manner. To facilitate good planning, we must ensure that the guidelines reflect all necessary variables and that they reflect all the issues across the country from a planning perspective. I stress again that the technical appendices to the guidelines will also be quite thorough.

Photo of Catherine MurphyCatherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Could the Minister give us an estimate of when he thinks the guidelines will be concluded and published?

Photo of Seán BarrettSeán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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I will allow Deputy Stanley to ask a quick supplementary question.

10:40 am

Photo of Brian StanleyBrian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister replied that it will be very soon. The point I want to raise concerns the 500 m statutory guideline he is bringing in. I spoke to the Minister of State, Deputy Coffey, on this two weeks ago. My point is that the set-back distance should be governed by the height of the turbines. A distance of 500 m is fine if it is a small turbine but there is a problem if it is a very large one, like those in the midlands where there is a specific problem in Laois and Offaly and the height of turbines can be 180 m.

Photo of Alan KellyAlan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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To answer Deputy Stanley, obviously, we are taking cognisance of all of that and I can assure him it will be dealt with as part of the guidelines. In response to Deputy Murphy, I expect to have this concluded before the summer recess, if not earlier.

Photo of Seán BarrettSeán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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As the Deputy is not present, Question No. 11 cannot be taken.

Question No. 11 replied to with Written Answers.