Louis O'Hara (Galway East, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

In my constituency, we have a huge number of energy developments at various stages of planning and development, between wind energy, solar farms, gas plants, etc. These are causing a lot of concern. I have raised this previously. It is important for me to say at the outset that my constituents are not against renewable energy. They fully understand the importance of energy security but they want it to be done right.

Today I am glad to get the opportunity to focus on solar energy developments, including battery energy storage, in two projects, in particular, that have brought to my attention by my constituents. In Monivea and Abbeyknockmoy, the proposed Belleville solar project, led by Power Capital Renewable Energy, PCRE, is planned to cover approximately 1,000 acres within the community across multiple different sites. This is a small rural community that would be left totally unrecognisable should the development go ahead in its current form.

Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Where?

Louis O'Hara (Galway East, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Belleville in Monivea and Abbeyknockmoy. In Grange and Gregmore, the Ballymoneen solar project, also led by PCRE, is currently under construction. I am from the local area. The construction has caused enormous disruption locally between damage to roads, road closures, noise and consistent breaches of planning conditions. Local residents have been informed in recent days that the developer now intends to expand the development and it has a number of new sites identified locally.

People have serious concerns around safety, health and well-being, the impact on their homes, property values, the quality of life, the local landscape and environment, whether their children will be able to build there in the future, what the future of farming will look like in the area - this is prime agricultural land that has been taken up - where all of this end, whether the developers will keep expanding and whether vast swathes of the countryside will ultimately covered in these farms. There has been no clarity provided to people on these issues.

There was no public consultation initially in terms of the Ballymoneen development. The consultation for the Belleville development was seriously lacking. Most people were uninformed. The reality is that the concerns being expressed by local people are not being taken into account and the questions they have are not being answered. The core of this problem is the legislative vacuum the Government continues to tolerate. Due to the lack of clear mandatory national guidelines on solar development, the system is rigged in favour of developers. Our countryside is like the wild west at present. It is open season for these developers to come in, to land these proposals right on top of homes and to change local communities beyond recognition with no real input from the people who live in those communities. These people are being treated with contempt and it is completely unacceptable.

I am fully committed to climate action. I recognise the importance of meeting our renewable energy targets but climate action cannot be delivered by corporate land grabs that destroy rural social fabric and undermine our food security. I am calling on Government to end the unacceptable delay in bringing forward specific planning guidelines on solar energy developments. We need guidelines that will protect communities, ensure appropriate land use, ensure safety, and ensure proper set-back distances and real community consultation. If the Government is serious about a just transition, it will introduce these protections immediately. If the Government fails to act, it is endorsing the industrialisation of rural Ireland one community at a time. The people I represent and people right across rural Ireland deserve better than to be sacrificed for corporate profit.

Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. I welcome the Deputy's remarks at the start of his contribution that he is not against renewable energy measures. As he will be aware, the Programme for Government 2025 - Securing Ireland’s Future has reaffirmed Ireland's targets of 80% of electricity demand to be met by renewables in the near term, with plans to move to net zero by 2050. The deployment of renewable electricity, including solar energy, is vital for Ireland to meet its ambitious domestic targets and international commitments.

Solar energy is already a growing source of electricity with approximately 2.1 GW of solar power capacity currently installed in Ireland. However, there is no doubt that further solar capacity is required for Ireland to meet its domestic and international targets.

In this regard, the programme for Government reaffirms Ireland’s ambitious targets of 8 GW of solar capacity connected to the grid by 2030. From a planning perspective, the programme for Government contains a commitment to introduce new planning guidelines for solar energy development, which the Deputy called for without delay.

An important development in this regards is that chapters 1 through 4 of Part 3 of the Planning and Development Act of 2024 came into effect on 2 October. As the Deputy may be aware, this provides the statutory basis for the national planning framework and the regional spatial and economic strategies, and introduces provisions for the new national planning statements that will replace section 28 planning guidelines. Therefore, the solar guidelines, once finalised, will issue as a national planning statement under the 2024 Act. This will ensure enhanced clarity and increased consistency across the planning systems at all tiers.

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is currently undertaking a scoping exercise - it is at an early stage - to identify the component factors relevant to the preparation of this national planning statement, including any appropriate environmental reporting and public consultation requirements, which the Deputy called for. This includes our European obligations such as the renewable energy directive, battery storage facilities and the possible timeframe for publication of the national planning statement. In line with EU directive requirements, a strategic environmental assessment will be carried out on any draft national planning statement regarding solar energy development. The Department intends to undertake a public consultation on the draft statement before it is finalised to give the individuals, communities and organisations the Deputy referred to the opportunity to submit observations on this draft statement. Consequently, any draft national planning statement will be prepared following detailed analysis and consideration of the submissions received during the consultation phase. The finalised draft will be subject to Government approval. In the meantime, public participation remains a cornerstone of all substantial decision-making processes in planning legislation. It is of course open to any member of the public to make an observation or submission on a planning application including in relation to solar energy developments. The planning authority is statutorily obliged to consider such submissions before making a decision on the application.

The programme for Government also contains a commitment to a land use review to ensure that optimal land-use options inform all relevant Government decisions. The second phase of this review, which is under way, will seek to identify the key demands on land both public and private to inform policies for land use across key Government objectives, improving socioeconomic, climate, biodiversity, water and air quality outcomes. The conclusions of this review will be factored into any draft national planning statement on solar energy development. Until the finalisation of the national planning statement, it will remain the case that, as with the large majority of development types, there are currently no specific planning guidelines that deal with solar energy development.

The Deputy mentioned planning conditions not being adhered to. I highly recommend that he get in touch with planning enforcement in the relevant local authority. In the short to medium term, the planning system provides a sufficient, robust policy and legislative framework in this regard.

Louis O'Hara (Galway East, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Minister of State said the scoping exercise for the guidelines and the land use review are under way. Can we get clarity on the timelines for the finalisation of those exercises? That was missing from the response. These applications are coming thick and fast across the State. We know these companies have their sights set on expanding their operations where it is profitable for them to do so and where they can get access to land. That is why it is important that the can is not continually kicked down the road. If possible, will the Minister of State provide timelines for all of this? When it comes to large-scale developments, the social fabric of communities also needs to be considered, which I also ask the Minister of State to acknowledge.

These projects are proving very divisive in communities. Neighbours and families are falling out with one another over land and access. My fear is that this will end up like the wind energy guidelines saga whereby the Government put a commitment in place for guidelines but the matter drags on for years and the can keeps being kicked down the road. Ultimately, communities are left facing these developments with no protections in place whatsoever. The Government's performance when it comes to the wind energy guidelines certainly does not inspire confidence in how it will deal with this issue.

There is a similar issue around solar energy developments. It is my firm view that the Government is failing communities with the absence of a plan-led approach to such developments. Communities have genuine concerns. They are reasonable and just want clarity on the key questions they have. We all understand and support the development of renewable energy but the Government needs to get a grip on the situation. Protect communities and get guidelines in place as soon as possible.

Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I take this opportunity to reaffirm to the Deputy that the Government and, in particular, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage are absolutely committed to working towards the publication of a national planning statement on solar energy development. That is in line with our programme for Government commitments. We are currently undertaking a scoping exercise in that regard. It is at an early stage, but work is under way. This work will include all the appropriate public consultations and the need to ensure the finalised national planning statement is fit for purpose, given the evolving and reforming planning policy context. I take on board the Deputy's point in relation to the social fabric, which is important. That is why public consultation will be at the heart of this too.

The forthcoming national planning statement will enhance existing policy and legislation around the governance of solar energy developments and provide additional measures and guidance for the ongoing development of solar energy while ensuing compliance with existing and future national, EU and international renewable energy policies and targets. In the interim, which I know the Deputy is concerned about, the existing planning system, supported by Government policy more generally, provides a sufficient, robust policy and legislative framework to facilitate the roll-out of solar energy developments in a sustainable manner and to assist with meeting our renewable electricity requirements. We need to balance the perspectives of local communities and our renewable electricity suppliers. That is what we are trying to do to allow for public and stakeholder engagement. It is a balance, but it is something the Government is committed to achieving.