Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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43. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his views on whether there ought to be an exclusion zone for wind turbines around horse breeding farms. [11775/14]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I commenced a public consultation on 11 December 2013 on proposed “draft” revisions to the existing 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines focussing specifically on the issues of noise, setbacks and shadow flicker. These draft revisions include a proposal for a mandatory setback of 500 metres between a wind turbine and the nearest dwelling for amenity considerations. My Department received submissions on the proposed revisions to the Guidelines from over 7,000 individuals and organisations by the 21 February 2014 deadline, including a number of submissions from representatives of the horse breeding industry. These submissions will be considered when preparing the final version of the revised guidelines and making any necessary amendments to the existing guidelines deemed appropriate.

I would expect to issue the final revised guidelines by the end of June 2014 under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act, 2000, which will require both planning authorities and An Bord Pleanála to have regard to them in the assessment of planning applications.