Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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97. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government when the revised wind farm planning guidelines will be available; the number of submission received; if it is unfair for local communities and planning authorities to be operating in the dark with large-scale proposed developments in advance of the publication of the new guidelines; if it is within his power to initiate a moratorium on decisions in this area until the guidelines are published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40945/14]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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In December 2013, my Department published proposed “draft” revisions to the noise, setbacks and shadow flicker aspects of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines. These draft revisions propose:

- The setting of a more stringent day and night noise limit of 40 decibels for future wind energy developments,

- A mandatory minimum setback of 500 metres between a wind turbine and the nearest dwelling for amenity considerations, and

- The complete elimination of shadow flicker between wind turbines and neighbouring dwellings.

A public consultation process was initiated on these proposed draft revisions to the Guidelines, which ran until February 21 2014. My Department received submissions from 7,500 organisations and members of the public during this period.

The 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines continue to apply to existing planning applications.Planning authorities, and, where applicable, An Bord Pleanála must have regard to those statutory guidelines, issued under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) in the performance of their functions under the Planning Acts.

In relation to initiating a moratorium on decisions, I am precluded under Section 30 of the Planning and Development Act 2000from exercising any power or control in relation to any particular case with which a planning authority or An Bord Pleanála is or may be concerned. My priority is focused on finalising the revisions to the 2006 Guidelines and I am determined to conclude that process as a matter of urgency, taking into account the large number of public submissions received.