Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent Ireland Party)
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81. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will acknowledge that the High Court has now ruled in multiple cases that wind turbine noise can constitute a nuisance, even where developments are compliant with planning conditions; and his plans to ensure that Ireland’s regulatory framework adequately protects affected residents. [60859/25]

Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent Ireland Party)
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At the outset, I am not against wind energy. I am against the health implications of wind energy. Will the Minister acknowledge that the High Court has now ruled in multiple cases that wind turbine noise can constitute a nuisance, even where developments are compliant with planning conditions, and confirm the specific advice the Department received from the Office of the Attorney General in March 2024 regarding this matter? What are his plans to implement that advice to ensure that Ireland’s regulatory framework adequately protects affected residents?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I acknowledge that the Deputy is not opposed to renewable energy. I note the recent High Court rulings related to private nuisance claims and related awards of damages connected with noise from particular wind farm developments.

We currently have over 5 GW of onshore wind generation and in 2024, wind accounted for 33% our electricity demand. This is related to the previous question on pricing which I have just answered. Ireland has one of the best wind resources in the world. We are already among world leaders for installed onshore wind capacity per capita and we are a European leader for the integration of variable renewable electricity on the national grid. Meeting our national targets for wind energy will require further integration of renewable technologies in proximity to communities. This has to be done in an appropriate manner in full consultation with those communities.

Important related work is progressing, in collaboration with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, to review the existing wind energy development guidelines. The review is addressing a number of key aspects including noise, setback distance, shadow flicker, community obligation, community dividend and grid connections. In particular, my Department has been engaged on advancing guidance on the noise aspect of the draft guidelines to ensure they are robust and fit for purpose, having regard to our target to generate 80% of our electricity from renewable sources, and we need to get there, as well as the need to ensure adequate protection of communities and residential developments in proximity.

My Department, in the context of its environmental noise remit, appointed consultants in May 2023 to inform any amendments to the noise aspect of the guidelines. That work is now substantially complete. A strategic environmental assessment is being carried out on the draft guidelines as part of the review process. In this regard, I am advised the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage intends to undertake a public consultation on updated draft guidelines as part of the screening process, whereby all interested parties and, importantly, communities will have an opportunity to submit observations.

Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent Ireland Party)
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How many High Court judgments will it take before the Government accepts that wind noise is causing health implications? People and communities in Limerick are taking up their own alliances because of the health implications where wind turbines are put up. Wind turbine planning applications are being lodged at a massive rate. The wind turbines that have gone up to date never involved health organisations. The HSE was not involved in the planning applications of the ones that exist. They are ignoring the health implications. Again, I am not against wind energy. I am against locations that are causing health implications for people living in those areas. People are entitled to their own health in their own residence. All they are asking for is to have their health protected. We are not against wind energy but we are against locations where they are causing health implications for people.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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Approximately 33% of our electricity comes through onshore wind energy. There are significant wind farm developments across the country, many of which do not cause any difficulty for any communities.

The same goes with solar. I have visited many of them as well. People need clean, green renewable energy that is affordable and affordability will be driven through renewables. That said, however, the noise element of the guidelines is critically important. I have updated the Deputy on where that is at. The adoption of revised guidelines will be a matter for planning. This is not me passing the buck; it is just it sits under the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. We are working with that Department directly on that. That piece of work is nearly concluded. I would like to see it concluded because people need that type of certainty to see what is there. Technologies are changing for the better as well. That is why we need those guidelines updated too. There are real issues for some people in some communities but there have not been issues in many other communities and we need to make sure we can continue to drive on renewable sources of energy here. I will keep the Deputy informed of progress. People will get an opportunity to input into these guidelines when they go out on public display and I am certain the Deputy and many others, both in government and in opposition, will want to feed into them too.

Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent Ireland Party)
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I thank the Minister. Again, we are talking about health. The other side of things is that given the number of wind turbines that have been pushed through planning at the moment, it is not about wind energy. Cian Murtagh is a lecturer in Sligo and he has looked at Ireland’s energy mix. For the month of October, we paid €115 million in curtailment costs and over €300 million in the last three months, taking money from every household to give to people who are profiting from wind energy. This is a business case in terms of what people are doing. They are flooding the market with these now. How many of the wind energy turbines in this country are owned by Ireland? I believe 63% are owned by companies based in China. Our wind energy is a land-take and the energy will not be ours by the time it finishes. It will be gone to different countries.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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Now I am beginning to wonder whether the Deputy is for wind energy or not, following his last comments. The largest renewable provider of energy in the country is Bord na Móna. That is a company that has pivoted and is an example of how a company can transition from fossil fuels and be a leader in the delivery of renewables on land we own as a State. We see that when we drive through the country. Curtailment costs are an issue and reducing dispatch down is an issue. Why is that? It is because the grid needs upgrading and we need more storage. We have about 1 GW of storage but we need more. Storage is critically important as well in order that we can dispatch energy when we need it. This is an issue, by the way, right across Europe and the developed world. It is not unique to Ireland. However, technologies are improving and we need to expand storage as well in order that we can release that energy, reduce curtailment costs and reduce dispatch down. That is going to happen. That is why PR6, which is the investment plan, will be published before the end of the year by CRU and will detail what investment we need. About €16 billion to €18 billion of investment in our grid between now and 2030-----

Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent Ireland Party)
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Offshore.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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-----and that is critical. No, this is onshore.

Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent Ireland Party)
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But we need offshore.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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We do of course but we need them to come through planning. We have five projects still in planning with An Coimisiún Pleanála and we are committed to offshore as well.