James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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83. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is engaging with the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment regarding the use of good agricultural land for solar farms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36654/25]

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I am taking this question in the name of Deputy James O'Connor.

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy O'Sullivan for raising this point on behalf of Deputy O'Connor. Deputy O'Connor has spoken directly to me on this point previously regarding his concerns in Cork. The programme for Government has committed to introduce planning guidelines for solar farms and to provide certainty in the development of solar energy. Issues regarding planning fall under the remit of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The rights of farmers and other landowners are, of course, subject to the usual constitutional protections.

As Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, I am committed to driving sustainable agriculture practices that underpin Ireland’s food sector and contribute more broadly to food security through an export market worth over €19 billion. My Department does also offer support for the production of indigenous renewable energy. This is primarily through the solar capital investment scheme, SCIS, under TAMS and the installation of mainly rooftop solar PV technology along with battery storage on Irish farms across the country. As of April 2025, over 3,000 farmers had received approval under the SCIS with 532 farmers having installed panels to date.

It is important to provide farmers with opportunities to ensure they can maximise the income from their holdings, maintain viable holdings and protect our family farm tradition. Hence, my Department provides a wide range of supports for a variety of farming activities and sectors. My Department also has a specific role in ensuring that agricultural lands, as defined under the Common Agricultural Policy, are maintained to a high environmental standard as set out under the cross-compliance framework. Land submitted for payment under the basic income support for sustainability must remain under agricultural management for the duration of the scheme year. My Department also ensures that the required environmental and sustainability practices are implemented on agricultural land in Ireland.

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister. I am aware of the scheme he outlined and the number of farmers who have availed of it. It is a very good scheme. The designation of land, land use policy and so on is really a matter for the Minister for local government, but one of the reasons Deputy O'Connor raised this matter with the Minister for agriculture is its potential impact on farming, particularly the dairy sector in the part of the world the Deputy and I represent. We are seeing large solar farm proposals now in the absence of any guidelines or any instruction from the Government. The Minister has said it is in the programme for Government that we will be bringing forward guidelines. They cannot come soon enough. There is concern that some communities are being swamped by these.

Nobody here is saying we do not need solar farms. They are indisputably part of what we need to do in generating energy for the future. However, the nature of the developments is erratic and concerns are being expressed by communities, particularly in my own parish of Knockraha into James O’Connor's area of Leamlara and Lisgoold. There are multiple applications. These farms are transforming the landscape from largely agricultural to what we would argue is a commercial enterprise.

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I accept those valid points and the importance of the planning guidelines committed to in the programme for Government. It is why we have that commitment in there. That is a matter for the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to introduce.

As regards dairy farmers and concerns about the availability of land, there is huge pressure on availability as it is, be that for dairy, tillage, leasing, etc. Land use is under pressure from a variety of directions. The Deputy raised concerns about the dairy sector and I understand his perspective, but it has very high energy costs, so my Department supporting the implementation of solar panels on the roofs of sheds to offset those costs is a good thing for farmers. Solar has a place here. I realise the Deputy is not saying it does not. I am proud that we support farmers to have rooftop solar panels and reduce their energy costs. Whether the individual is a dairy, beef, sheep or tillage farmer, he or she can continue to do the core activity of producing top-quality food in that shed while having a sustainable and steady source of income every year from the shed's roof, which can help in years of income volatility when prices are low.

Liam Quaide (Cork East, Social Democrats)
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The Minister is restrained in what he can say. He is the Minister for agriculture, not energy and communications. I take his point about solar that the Department is providing for rooftops. That scheme is very much welcome. However, we are seeing the landscape transforming in front of our eyes. I took my kids for a walk in Leamlara in east Cork a couple of months back and as far as the eye could see, there was panel after panel in what was probably the most productive land in the country. That is the concern we are expressing. We are not saying we are against solar farms; we are clearly not. They are as necessary as wind energy. A large, industrial biodigester was built in my area of Little Island a numbers years ago. Nobody objected to it. The community was actually in favour of the proposal and supported it because it was necessary infrastructure. However, we are expressing the community's genuine concerns about hundreds of thousands of acres. The Minister’s concern should be about the knock-on effects on the agricultural and food sectors. There is a scoping exercise and there will be a public consultation on the guidelines, but we are all here long enough, so let us be honest about it - that will take two or three years. Meanwhile, there will be dozens more of these applications with essentially no guidelines in place. That is the most concerning thing for us.

Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for the opportunity to add my voice to this important debate.

The issue of solar farms on prime agricultural land is a critical one in parts of County Waterford. We all see the advantage of solar power, including solar farms and solar on rooftops. Farmers in rural communities are in favour of this and see the advantages and benefits of it. However, we cannot have development of large solar farms on prime agricultural land take place in what is essentially a legislative and guidance vacuum. We need to see guidelines and they need to be based on consultation with stakeholders in rural communities. We need to understand the impact this will have on agriculture as a sector, but also on the family farm into the future.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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This is a massive issue. I have discussed it with the Minister. For decades, we were waiting on planning guidelines for wind turbines, and here we are on the new craze of solar panels. We cannot blame farmers when they are being enticed to set aside land for long-term leases. The best of land in the Golden Vale, in Rathgormack in County Waterford, and in east Cork is being taken up. This scéal is scary. There are farmers with 500 or 800 cows ceasing production. There will be a food shortage if we do not have some balance very soon.

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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For fear anyone mistakes me for the Minister for climate or planning, I am the Minister for agriculture. I accept the points that have been raised in that context but I wish to put on the record I was very supportive of planning guidelines for solar in the programme for Government talks. It is the right thing to do; we need a bit of structure on that. I understand the concerns raised by Deputies representing their communities. I also recognise the right of farmers to get that blend right between playing their part for the environment, producing food and making sure they have a sustainable farm income. In general, there is a role for renewables to play in supplementing that income. I refer back to the point on rooftop solar. Irrespective of the price of the sheep, cattle or grain in that shed in any given year, the year that price is low, the solar panels on the roof will still give a return and a steady income. Income volatility is a huge challenge for our farmers. Renewables have a role to play in supplementing farm incomes and encouraging the next generation of farmers to take farming on, as there will be a more sustainable income there.