Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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1013. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding solar panels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41352/14]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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Under Class 3(c) of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, as amended, the installation of a solar panel on, or within the curtilage of a house, or any buildings within the curtilage of a house, is exempted development, and therefore does not require planning permission, subject to a number of conditions and limitations. These conditions and limitations do not include a restriction on placing a solar panel on the roof at the front of the house or other building concerned.

The main conditions and limitations are:

1.The total aperture area of any such panel, taken together with any other such panel previously placed on or within the said curtilage, shall not exceed 12 square metres or 50% of the total roof area, whichever is the lesser.

2.The distance between the plane of the wall or a pitched roof and the panel shall not exceed 15 centimetres.

3.The distance between the plane of a flat roof and the panel shall not exceed 50 centimetres.

4.The solar panel shall be a minimum of 50cm from any edge of the wall or roof on which it is mounted.

5.The height of a free-standing solar array shall not exceed 2 metres, at its highest point, above ground level.

6.A free-standing solar array shall not be placed on or forward of the front wall of a house.

7. The erection of any free standing solar array shall not reduce the area of privateopen space, reserved exclusively for the use of the occupants of the house, to the rear or to the side of the house to less than 25 square metres.