Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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187. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the status of the process regarding new planning guidelines for windfarms, the delay in which is causing uncertainty for communities that have planning applications in their areas (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43356/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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My predecessor as Minister, in conjunction with my colleague, the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, announced an emerging "preferred draft approach" to the review of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines in June 2017.

A copy of the announcement is available on my Department’s website at the following link:

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As part of the overall review, a strategic environmental assessment (SEA) will be undertaken on the "preferred draft approach" to the revised Guidelines before they come into effect. This is in accordance with the requirements of EU Directive 2001/24/EC on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment, the SEA Directive.  SEA is a process by which environmental considerations are required to be fully integrated into the preparation of plans and programmes which act as frameworks for development consent, prior to their final adoption, with public consultation as part of that process.

It is envisaged that the SEA process will take approximately nine months and tendering to engage the necessary expertise to carry out that process is currently underway.  In light of the SEA requirements, it is expected that the revisions to the Guidelines will not be finalised and come into effect until 2018.  In the meantime, the current Guidelines remain in force.

When finalised, the revised Guidelines will be issued under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended.  Planning authorities, and, where applicable, An Bord Pleanála must have regard to guidelines issued under Section 28 in the performance of their functions generally under the Planning Acts.

Under section 30 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, I am specifically precluded from 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.  As a consequence, I cannot comment on any individual planning case.