Written answers

Tuesday, 3 July 2012

Department of Environment, Community and Local Government

Proposed Legislation

9:00 pm

Photo of Patrick O'DonovanPatrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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Question 421: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to bring forward legislation or regulations to deal with the siting of wind turbines and their proximity to residential areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31813/12]

Photo of Jan O'SullivanJan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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There are at present no specific conditions set down in legislation with regard to distances from sensitive properties – including houses – in respect of the siting of wind turbines.

The issue was considered during the preparation of the existing Wind Energy Guidelines, published by my Department in 2006. It was decided then that it would be impractical and inappropriate to set a minimum distance because distance alone does not dictate noise levels arising from wind energy development. A wide range of other factors can also impact on noise including;

· background noise levels,

· topography,

· local climatic factors and

· type and height of turbine.

Instead the Guidelines state that "in general, noise is unlikely to be a significant problem where the distance from the nearest turbine to any noise sensitive property is more than 500 metres". The Guidelines also advise planning authorities to seek evidence that the types of turbines proposed in a particular development will use best current engineering practice in terms of noise creation and suppression and provide quite specific limits in the permissible increases in noise above background noise from wind energy developments in order to protect neighbouring properties. The current system therefore provides for a degree of specificity and uniformity across all planning authorities while also leaving the final decision in the hands of the local decision makers – who have the benefit of any submissions or observations from third parties – in making their decision.

I do not propose, therefore, to deal with this matter in legislation. Generally, matters of technical detail such as noise or electromagnetic interference are dealt with under planning guidelines or in the development management sections of development plans thereby allowing for these issues to be properly addressed in the local context. Guidelines allow for the establishment of flexible parameters within which developments can take place that take account of changing circumstances and technical advances.

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