Pauline O'Reilly (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

She spoke very inspiringly about the need to use this Chamber to deal with the issues of the day. As she sees it, the number one issue is the climate crisis. We can use this Chamber on a cross-party basis to highlight the things we can all do in our lives to implement the changes required. Ms Robinson, like many of us, identified that the messages are not necessarily trickling down to every place where they are needed. While we have passed a climate Act, how much do people in our community feel that they can really make a difference? This Bill is critical in that jigsaw.

Can the Minister of State imagine solar panels on all our schools, community buildings, churches and farms, with local people doing the work and with the involvement of children, community groups and towns? That would make everybody buy into the fact that we need climate action. Not only that, it would put money in people's pockets. A school is not operating throughout the summer, yet if it had solar panels installed it could sell energy back to the grid, make money for itself and see the fruits of its labour.

We are aware that the microgeneration scheme is on its way very shortly. This Bill would ensure that when it is delivered, all our communities could benefit straight away.Having recently had solar panel installers in my house, they wanted to know when the Government was going to deliver on taking away the regulations on commercial and community buildings, because it is quite arbitrary. I have spoken to many Senators who have tried in their own communities to support groups, schools and community centres, which I have also done, in trying to get solar panels up and running about this. Many people do not realise until they go through the process that people can get solar panels on their homes, but when it comes to schools, any solar panel array has to go through planning. This also applies to farms and community buildings. It does not make sense for a country that professes to be a leader when it comes to climate action. There is significant red tape and cost involved. If there is some change in the middle of the application whereby a solar array should have been placed in a different place, the applicant has to go back to the start and look for planning permission all over again, which is what happened to the school I was involved with. The problem, as I am sure the Minister of State will be well aware, is that all development, unless specifically exempted under section 4 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, or Schedule 2 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2002, requires planning permission. This includes solar panels. This legislation goes back 2000. The question must be asked, and I am sure will also be asked by Friends of the Earth Ireland: why is it taking so long? When we introduced the Bill last year we had the Minister of State's assurances that it would have moved.

Not only do the issues relate to community buildings, they also relate to the size of solar arrays on houses. Assuming we had larger roofs, which in my cases I do not, it would be possible to have larger solar panels. This is what we need to get to so that everybody buys into this.

The Minister of State will have an opportunity to reply and we are all really looking forward to what he will say. We are anticipating that it will be good news. I am aware that concerns have been raised regarding glint and glare around airports. In other countries, they simply fence off that area. These are small areas and this is done in a very strategic basis. For Gods' sake, we do not have that many airports in the country. Although some might say that we need more in some parts of the country and we need to keep them open in others. It is not rocket science. Obviously, we need to do a strategic environmental assessment, but we do not need to be going to the nth degree. I will let the Minister of State reply on that and tell us what we need from his perspective. I thank him and no doubt I will talk about this again.