Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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I welcome the Minister of State to the House. It is good to see him again.

Eileen Lynch (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for being here this morning. I want to speak on an issue of urgency and strategic importance, not just for our national climate goals but for rural communities across the country, particularly in my own county of Cork. In north-west Cork there is currently potential for the development of a biomethane plant in Kilvoultra, a rural community just outside Macroom. There is a clear and pressing need for the Minister for the environment to provide a firm commitment to publish national guidelines on the locations of biomethane plants, as part of the national biomethane strategy. Biomethane has enormous potential to be a cornerstone of Ireland's transition to a low-carbon economy. It is a renewable, home-grown energy source that helps us to cut greenhouse gas emissions and provides a productive for farm and food waste. Nowhere is this opportunity more relevant that in counties like Cork, with a strong and diverse agricultural sector, where farmers are looking for sustainable ways to future-proof their livelihoods.As well as energy potential, there is potential for the use of the digestate as an organic fertiliser, which would be an alternative to mineral fertiliser use. This is an opportunity for our rural economy, environment and energy security but only if done correctly. Being done correctly has to be the guiding principle. There is no national guidance as to where biomethane plants should be located. This is leading to confusion, frustration and legitimate concern, particularly from communities living near proposed sites, many of which believe they are being left in the dark, particularly when consultation is at best lacking and at worst non-existent. We have already seen this tension emerge in Cork. In some areas, proposed locations have raised serious questions about road access, residential proximity and environmental impact. People are understandably worried about increased heavy traffic on rural roads that were never designed for such loads and about plants being sited far too close to homes. Regarding the proposal I mentioned in Kilvoultra, 200 residents are living within a 2-km radius of the proposed site.

The reality is that our local authorities are doing their best but county development plans vary significantly across the country when it comes to the location of biomethane plants. Cork County Council may take a more cautious or supportive approach than councils elsewhere but without national guidelines, there is a lack of consistency and co-ordination that risks undermining community confidence and industry investment. We cannot have a piecemeal approach. I am, therefore, calling on the Minister to urgently publish comprehensive national guidelines on the location of biomethane plants that consider proximity to homes, road and infrastructure capacity, environmental sustainability and alignment with local development plans. These guidelines must also reflect the needs and perspective of rural counties like Cork where there is significant potential for biomethane and biogas but also a need for balance, fairness and proper planning. If we want to unlock the potential of biomethane for our farmers, protect our communities and deliver on our climate commitments, we must give local authorities, developers and residents the clarity and guidance they need to move forward. We need to provide a clear national framework as to where these plants can and cannot be located and we need to get this right. It is vital for rural Ireland and for our shared environmental future.

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I thank Senator Lynch for raising this important topic, which is particularly important for her constituency in Cork. It is an important issue. I recently attended the all-Ireland summit on the bioeconomy. This was a really important summit that brought together key industry partners, academia and those working in the bioeconomy, the biomethane sector and the circular economy. There was significant discussion around where we can improve our circularity and how the Government has committed to delivering up to 5.7 TWh of indigenously produced biomethane by 2030.

Delivery of this target and the use of biomethane in our energy system will have multiple cross-sectoral benefits for Ireland’s economy, energy security and emissions profile. I think Senator Lynch agrees with that initiative. A first step to realising this ambition was the publication of the national biomethane strategy. The previous Ministers for the Environment, Climate and Communications and Agriculture, Food and the Marine published this strategy in May 2024. Subsequently, we have seen the most recent publication of the national planning framework. This will set out our sectoral climate targets across many of the regions across Ireland and will enable regional assemblies to formally look at strategic sites and planning to deliver on this ambition.

The biomethane strategy sets out the necessary policy and regulatory measures and provides a roadmap to developing a biomethane industry of scale in Ireland. The development of the strategy focused on a framework of five interlinking pillars seen as critical to target delivery. They are sustainability, demand for biomethane, the bioeconomy and the circular economy, the economics of biomethane, and enabling policy requirements. Each pillar has been aligned with 25 key strategic actions. Each action looks to address the challenges and support the opportunities anaerobic digestion and biomethane production have to offer.

Although this is a very well established technology in Europe with over 20,000 plants in operation, biomethane production and anaerobic digestion, AD, plants are considered a new form of technology in Ireland. A clearer understanding of AD technology and consistency of approach by planning authorities when assessing AD projects will improve our planning and permitting processes. Priority deliverables under the strategy include the development of planning guidelines - I know this is one issue Senator Lynch wants to be raised - to support local authorities when assessing AD planning applications and a review of resourcing requirements of our key Government agencies to support development of the industry. These guidelines will be developed by the biomethane implementation group, which is chaired by my Department, in close collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage along with Teagasc and the SEAI.

I met recently with Gas Networks Ireland, GNI, which is committed to decarbonising our gas network by repurposing it to transport renewable gases - ultimately, hydrogen and biomethane. GNI has established a dedicated biomethane team. We are working through the guidelines in the biomethane implementation group. We have not yet published them but we will certainly work towards the objective of publishing them later this year.

Eileen Lynch (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for such a comprehensive response. I really welcome the confirmation that these planning guidelines are in the ether. I would appreciate hearing if there is any particular timeline. I am very much in favour of biomethane and biogas. It is well established technology in mainland Europe but it is not necessarily something we have investigated here. It has many benefits from energy, climate and agricultural perspectives. If we want to meet out targets and introduce these plants around the country, it is important for us not to split communities and drive the public against these measures. It seems mad that when this national biomethane strategy was published 12 months ago, there was no reference to planning guidelines. This led to differences between country development plans and different local authorities and a lack of consultation with communities. I am not against biomethane and I recognise its importance but these guidelines need to be published and published soon so that we are not splitting communities and driving the public against these necessary measures.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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Before I call the Minister of State, I welcome the students and my council colleague. They are very welcome here today. I hope they enjoy their stay. We are dealing with Commencement Matters - basically a number of topics submitted by Senators. Four are picked each day and four have been picked today, so we are at the conclusion of this section. This is an important part of the Seanad's deliberations where individual Senators raise topics of interest to them, their constituents or organisations with which they are involved.

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Priority deliverables under the biomethane strategy include the development of planning guidelines. Many communities, not just that of the Senator's in Cork, deserve the right to engage in the planning process so that there is extensive consultation, they have oversight of any environmental assessments being undertaken and that in respect of this engagement between the local authority and the developer if it is private, there is a community dividend in terms of a community fund being established for these key infrastructural projects because they are significant and have an impact on the environment, the biosphere and local communities. Therefore, it is only correct that they require and undergo the full planning and permit process to ensure considerations in a range of areas and factors, including location, visual impact, land zoning plans and ecology, are factored in. I will work with the Senator to expedite these guidelines over the next number of months to ensure there is a centralised plan across the country.