Vincent P Martin (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I seek leave to take No. 12 on the agenda before No. 1. I formally request that the Order of Business be so amended. That will permit me to introduce my Bill entitled Planning and Development (Stationary Battery Energy Storage Systems) Bill 2024. Currently, battery energy storage systems, BESSs, do not require an environmental impact assessment, EIA, as they are not listed in annex 1 or 2 of the Planning and Development Act 2000. Grid-scale BESSs, are a relatively new technology since 2012 and some of the projects currently proposed in Ireland are among the largest in the world. A piggery, for example, requires an environmental impact assessment, but there is no such obligation on these large-scale projects. An EIA would identify and describe the direct and indirect affects of proposed projects with regard to environmental factors, including population and human health, biodiversity, with particular emphasis on habitats protected under EU directives, land, soil, water, air and climate, material assets, cultural heritage, landscape and the interaction between all of the above. In the short to at least medium term, it is anticipated that such battery storage technology will become more common in usage throughout the country. This will help reduce carbon emissions. However, it is important that this be done in a way that instils as much public confidence as possible. Legislating to ensure EIAs are made mandatory for such projects should improve the all-important local community buy-in and support.

I would also like to welcome an announcement in the recent budget by the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin that independent media, including local radio stations, will receive €6 million in funding to provide news and information in this area. Independent media provide a crucial benefit to the community by informing people about important local news that sometimes may be missed by the national media. This is a vital public service, which is why it is great at long last to see support for the independent, high-quality journalism that provides unbiased, objective and factual news reporting. Senator O'Loughlin is present as well. We can testify to this as in KFM we have a fantastic independent broadcasting service. These outlets need support and are getting it at long last. Legislative change is under way to allow news and current affairs to be funded under the Sound and Vision scheme and Coimisiún na Meán will lead on the detailed design of the expanded scheme. The views of the independent broadcasting sector will be thoroughly considered. In conclusion, the addition of €6 million for news and current affairs content ring-fenced for the commercial radio and television sector, to the €4 million for the media fund scheme that was agreed in the summer, will mean that for the first time ever news and current affairs content will be included in the Sound and Vision scheme.This is an important recognition of the valuable role that independent broadcasters play in providing trustworthy news in these very dangerous times in which we live.