Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 303: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he has given instruction or made regulation or given guidance in respect of the siting of wind farms in special areas of conservation, natural heritage areas or special protection areas or the zoning of land in the above as being suitable for wind farms, subject to environmental assessment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19662/11]

Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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I refer to the reply to Question No. 229 of 31 May 2011. My Department issued Wind Energy Development Guidelines in June 2006. A copy of the Guidelines is available on my Department's website www.environ.ie.

These Guidelines recommend an approach which seeks to identify, within the development plan process, key areas where wind energy resources are good and capable of being exploited. Chapter 6 in the Guidelines comprehensively addresses considerations relating to the siting and design of wind farms to ensure the highest standards are applied in particular where landscape sensitivity is high as in scenic areas, natural heritage areas or special protection areas.

Planning authorities are required to undertake a statutory public consultation process when making or varying a development plan. This allows all stakeholders and interested parties the opportunity to make submissions while plans are at draft stage and before their adoption by the relevant planning authority. It is also open to individuals to make an observation or lodge an objection in relation to an individual planning application for development, including a wind energy development. My Department's guidelines, in addition, recommend that planning authorities encourage wind farm developers to engage in active consultation and dialogue with local communities at an early stage in the development consent process.