Written answers
Tuesday, 31 May 2016
Department of Environment, Community and Local Government
Wind Energy Generation
Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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352. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government how he envisages a public consultation will take place regarding industrial turbine development and the planning guidelines relating to them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12767/16]
Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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357. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if, given the fact that revisions to wind turbine guidelines will be informed by best international practice, he has noted whether international best practices have changed since the Marshall Day report in 2013 commissioned by the Government; if he has noted the recommendation of a 2 km setback by the Polish National Institute for Public Health and the judgment by the Constitutional Court of Bavaria in 2016 upholding the Bavarian state setback rule of ten times tip height that has been in force since 2014 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13581/16]
Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 352 and 357 together.
In December 2013, my Department published proposed “draft” revisions to the noise, setback distance and shadow flicker aspects of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines.
These draft revisions proposed:
- the setting of a more stringent day and night noise limit of 40 decibels for future wind energy developments,
- a mandatory minimum setback distance of 500 metres between a wind turbine and the nearest dwelling for amenity considerations, and
- the complete elimination of shadow flicker between windturbines and neighbouring dwellings.
A public consultation process was also initiated on these proposed draft revisions to the Guidelines, which ran until 21 February 2014. My Department received submissions from 7,500 organisations and members of the public during this public consultation process.
As outlined in the Programme for a Partnership Government published last week, the Government is committed to finalising the revisions to the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines within 3 to 6 months. The revisions to the guidelines will be informed by the public consultation process and best international practice. My Department will continue to advance work on the Guidelines in conjunction with the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources.
The revisions to the Wind Energy Development Guidelines 2006, when finalised, will be issued under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended. Planning authorities, and, where applicable, An Bord Pleanála are required to have regard to guidelines issued under Section 28 in the performance of their functions under the Planning Acts.
Nigel de Haas
Posted on 8 Jun 2016 7:45 pm (Report this comment)
It is telling that the Minister chose to ignore the main part of Deputy Pringle's question - namely, has he noted whether international best practices have changed since the Marshall Day report in 2013 commissioned by the Government; if he has noted the recommendation of a 2 km setback by the Polish National Institute for Public Health and the judgment by the Constitutional Court of Bavaria in 2016 upholding the Bavarian state setback rule of ten times tip height that has been in force since 2014?
The protection of public health of Irish rural dwellers from the hazards of wind turbine noise fall under the long outdated Wind Energy Development Guidelines 2006; guidelines which in turn are based on ETSU-R-97 "The Assessment and Rating of Noise from Wind Farms" issued by the UK Department of Trade and Industry in September, 1996.
Ten years have passed since the Irish guidelines were issued, ten years during which the size of wind turbines has increased exponentially, and during which the international knowledge of the public health hazards of low frequency noise and infrasound have been well researched, peer-reviewed and published. Unknown no longer washes.
In December 2013, the Department of Housing, Environment and Local Government published for public consultation a proposed "Targeted Revision" of the guidelines which would guarantee a setback distance of 500m from people's home. They received 7300 submissions, most of which pointed out that this was totally inadequate and far less than international best practice.
The government of the day kicked the can down the road and did nothing for over two years. Public disquiet has forced the new administration to commit to publishing revised wind development guidelines within 6 months. The Minister confirmed in May that "The revisions to the guidelines will be informed by the public consultation process and best international practice".
However, the "best international practice" that informed the draft proposals back in November 2013 have long since been overtaken by larger and more powerful technology; in today's terms, 500 metres is woefully inadequate, and is guaranteed to lead to public health issues in the future. In Germany, the Constitutional Court of Bavaria has upheld the State setback rule of 10 times tip height that has been in force since 2014, and the Polish National Institute of Public Health has recommended a minimum setback of 2km.
The Irish renewable energy action plan has already been found to have lacked proper public consultation by the UNECE, a finding that has been accepted by the European Commission and Ireland. It is the Minister's intention that "My Department will continue to advance work on the Guidelines in conjunction with the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources".
The only way that the Minister can advance work on the guidelines at this remove is to immediately issue fresh draft guidelines that reflect international best practice as enforced by fellow European countries, repeat the public consultation and then enact the enabling legislation so that the public can have confidence that the issue has been dealt with in a fair and transparent manner.
The new Irish Government, formed on the platform of a new openness to listen to the public, and with its large contingent of Independent members now has the opportunity to transparently show that it really does have the health interests of its rural citizens at heart. Or it can revert to the "same old, same old" groupthink politics of the past behind closed doors. Minister Coveney, by his response, appears to favour the status quo ante.