Written answers

Tuesday, 29 November 2016

Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government

Wind Energy Guidelines

Photo of Mary ButlerMary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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274. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government when new wind farm planning guidelines to assist the proper planning of wind power projects will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37181/16]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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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-time noise limit of 40 decibels for future windenergy developments,

- a mandatory minimum setback distance of 500 metres between a windturbine 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 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines, which ran until February 2014. The Department received submissions from 7,500 organisations and members of the public during this public consultation process.

In light of the commitment in the Programme for A Partnership Government to finalise the Guidelines and on-going policy and legal developments in this area, my Department is continuing to advance work on the Guidelines and related matters in conjunction with the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, in order to bring the various issues to a conclusion as early as possible. It is intended to make a statement on the matter before the end of the year, outlining the timelines for the implementation of the various elements.

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