Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail)
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I raise an important issue relating to the development of wind turbines in County Meath. As the Minister of State, Deputy Fergus O'Dowd, is aware, negotiations have been ongoing between the Governments in Britain and Ireland to put together a memorandum of understanding on the export of electricity between the two countries, which would result in industrial size wind turbines being erected in large parts of County Meath.

Prior to the election, the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Rabbitte, announced that the project would not go ahead. Many residents in areas affected across the country were very happy with the news. Exactly a week after the local elections, a notice of pre-planning consultation was lodged under the umbrella of the Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Act. The proposal related to 50 wind turbines in County Meath. Recently, the company concerned issued a press statement to the effect that it is now involved in a different project to generate electricity for the domestic market and that the project is not dependent on the intergovernmental agreement. It seems strange that the project could proceed so quickly with a planning application, which the company says is slightly different from what was previously intended, following a major Government announcement on the project.

I wish to clarify the Government’s position. Have there been any further developments on the intergovernmental agreement? Was the Government given notice of the planning application? The Government would have been in contact with the wind farm companies in recent years. The Minister, Deputy Rabbitte, addressed a number of conferences on wind energy. What is happening from the Government’s point of view? Is the project authorised by the Government? Is the Government encouraging it? Does the Government know anything about the project in order that we can tell local residents what is going on? Residents consider what is proposed to be a complete contradiction of what was said by the Government three to four weeks ago.

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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I wish to respond on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Rabbitte, who cannot attend. The overarching objective of our energy policy is to ensure secure, sustainable supplies of competitively priced energy. As a State, we have ambitious targets for 16% of our energy from renewable sources by 2020 through meeting 40% of electricity demand from renewable sources, with 10% for transport and 12% for heat.

Underpinning the energy and economic policy objectives are five strategic goals, the first of which is progressively more renewable electricity from onshore and offshore wind power for the domestic and export markets. In 2012, a total of 7.1% of Ireland's overall energy requirement was met by renewable energy, equating to 19.6% of electricity demand. To date, wind energy has been the largest driver of growth in renewable electricity. In 2012, a total of 15.3% of electricity demand was met by wind generation. At the end of 2013, the total amount of wind generation connected to the grid was approximately 2,000 MW. It is estimated that a total of between 3,500 MW and 4,000 MW of onshore renewable generation capacity will be required to allow Ireland to meet its 40% renewable electricity target.

Currently, more than 3,000 MW of renewable generation has taken up connection offers. Therefore, private developers will be seeking planning consent for projects of varying scales to construct generation projects to meet our domestic needs. The progression of each individual project is, in the first instance, a matter between the project developer and the relevant planning authority. Given that the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources has no planning function in this matter, the Minister, Deputy Rabbitte, has not received any report or communication concerning the planning specifics. Consideration of the project is a matter for the planning system and, in particular, An Bord Pleanála.

In any event, my Department is advised that the anticipated project referenced by the Senator is destined for supplying renewable energy to the domestic grid. I accept that is what Senator Byrne said. With regard to exporting renewable electricity generally, Ireland's renewable energy resources can deliver significantly greater volumes of energy than our domestic economy can absorb, presenting the opportunity to become a renewable energy exporter in the future.

On a number of occasions, the Minister, Deputy Rabbitte, has stated with regret that it has not been possible at this time to conclude an agreement for renewable energy trading as envisaged under the memorandum of understanding he signed with the UK in January 2013. Economic analysis conducted on the Irish side clearly indicates that under agreed policy and regulatory conditions, renewable energy trading can deliver significant economic benefits to Ireland and the UK, as well as being attractive to developers. However, that will not happen automatically. Renewable energy trading must be designed to work. However, I believe that in the context of the European Internal Market and greater integration, greater trade in energy between Britain and Ireland is inevitable in the post-2020 scenario. Any project seeking to export renewable energy would require the signing of an intergovernmental agreement.

Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail)
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I will just give my views for the record. I do not expect the Minister of State to respond directly. The project seems to be going ahead in a very similar format to what was proposed before the intergovernmental negotiations broke down. It seems to be the case that the Government hopes the intergovernmental negotiations will restart and that an agreement can be achieved. It appears to me that the company is hedging its bets and applying for planning permission so that it will be ready to roll if and when an intergovernmental agreement to export energy is signed.
The situation has already created serious cynicism. The application was made to An Bord Pleanála a week after the local elections. I raised the matter on local radio on Tuesday. No information was available from Element Power but a press release was published in the Meath Chronicleon Wednesday with details of the project. The company should have been a lot more proactive about telling the public what was going on instead of waiting for a local politician to ask questions about the project on local radio. We will keep an eye on what is happening. The situation highlights one flaw in the Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Act, namely, that the pre-planning consultation process should be public. The document and letters sent to An Bord Pleanála should be available on a public file but that is not the case. I would like to see that problem with the legislation addressed.

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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I will bring Senator Byrne's comments on the planning issue to the attention of the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government and the wind turbine issue to the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources.