Seanad debates

Tuesday, 15 November 2016

Commencement Matters

Alternative Energy Projects

2:30 pm

Photo of Damien EnglishDamien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for raising this issue. There are no specific planning guidelines in place in respect of solar farms and I have no proposals to bring forward such guidelines at the present time. Under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, each planning authority's development plan is required to set out an overall strategy for the proper planning and sustainable development of the area concerned. Section 10 of the Act requires a development plan to include, among other things, objectives for the provision or facilitation of the provision of infrastructure, including energy facilities and infrastructure. Many local authorities have developed renewable energy strategies for their areas in this context. Proposals for individual solar farm developments are also subject to the statutory requirements of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, in the same manner as other proposed developments. Planning applications are required to be submitted to the relevant local planning authority with a right of appeal to An Bord Pleanála.

In making decisions on planning applications, planning authorities and the board must consider the proper planning and sustainable development of the area, having regard to the provisions of the development plan, any submissions or observations received and relevant ministerial or Government policies, including any relevant guidelines issued by my Department. Planning authorities must then make their own decision, based on the specific merits or otherwise of individual planning applications.

I am satisfied that the planning code is sufficiently robust to facilitate the assessment of individual planning permission applications for solar farm developments. However, the matter will be kept under review, in consultation with my colleague, the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, and his Department, which is the lead Department on renewable energy policy, in the context of the Government's White Paper on Energy Policy in Ireland, published in December 2015, the development of a renewable electricity policy and development framework, REPDF, and the launching of a new subsidy support scheme for renewable electricity by the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, expected in late 2017. My understanding is that such a new subsidy support scheme is required in order for the development of solar farms to become economically viable, which is not the case at present. The recently published energy White Paper acts out a vision to accelerate the development and diversification of renewable energy in Ireland and a draft REPDF has been formulated, aimed at optimising the opportunities for producing electricity from a variety of renewable energy sources in projects of significant scale on land, which will be subject to further public consultation prior to its adoption in 2017.

The Programme for a Partnership Government contains a commitment to facilitate the development of solar energy projects in Ireland, which builds on the energy White Paper and recognises that solar has the potential to provide a community dividend, thereby also enhancing citizen participation in Ireland's energy future.Consequently, solar photovoltaics - also known as solar farms -are one of the technologies being considered in the context of a new subsidy support scheme for renewable electricity generation being developed by the Department of the Minister, Deputy Naughten. This will require Government approval and state aid clearance from the European Commission before it can come into operation.

We have no proposals to bring forward specific planning guidelines for solar farms at present. However, the matter will be kept under review pending the development of the various initiatives by the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment to which I have referred. I am conscious that, as the Senator said, quite a high volume of applications have begun to be received. I will raise this issue with both Departments for it to be monitored more closely.

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