James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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498. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his views on the lack of planning guidelines for solar farm developments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47687/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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There are no specific planning guidelines in place in respect of solar farms. Proposals for individual solar farm developments are subject to the statutory requirements of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, in the same manner as other proposed developments. Planning applications are made to the relevant local planning authority with a right of appeal to An Bord Pleanála.

Under the Planning and Development Act, each planning authority's development plan must set out an overall strategy for the proper planning and sustainable development of the area concerned. Section 10 of the Act requires a development plan to include, inter alia, objectives for the provision or facilitation of the provision of infrastructure, including energy facilities, and many local authorities have developed renewable energy strategies for their areas in this context.

In making decisions on planning applications, planning authorities and the Board must consider the proper planning and sustainable development of the area, having regard to the provisions of the local development plan, any submissions or observations received and relevant Ministerial or Government policies, including any relevant guidelines issued by my Department. Planning authorities must then make their own decisions based on the specific merits or otherwise of individual planning applications.

I am satisfied that the planning code is sufficiently robust to facilitate the assessment of individual planning permission applications for solar farm developments. However, the matter will be kept under review, in consultation with my colleague, the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, and his Department - which leads on renewable energy policy - in the context of the Government's White Paper on Energy Policy, published in December 2015, the development of a Renewable Electricity Policy and Development Framework, as well as the finalisation of a new support scheme for renewable electricity by that Department, expected in 2018.

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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499. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his plans to include solar farm developments within the environmental impact assessment directive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47688/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive specifies projects which, by virtue of their nature, size or location, are likely to have significant effects on the environment and should be subject to EIA. The Directive requires projects listed in Annex I of the Directive to be subject to mandatory EIA and provides that Member States may determine whether projects listed in Annex II of the Directive shall be subject to EIA. Projects requiring an EIA by a planning authority or An Bord Pleanála (the Board), as appropriate, in respect of an application for planning consent are listed in Schedule 5 of the Planning and Developments Regulations 2001 (the Regulations), which transposes the list of projects in Annex I and II of the EIA Directive.

Proposals for individual renewable energy development projects may be subject to environmental impact assessment (EIA) as part of the planning process. Part 2 of Schedule 5 of the Regulations includes certain renewable energy development projects, such as wind energy and, in accordance with the Directive, certain thresholds have been set below which development need not necessarily be subject to EIA. EIA is also required in the consideration of planning applications, other than in the circumstances referred to above, where a development is likely to have significant effects on the environment, having regard to the criteria set out in Schedule 7 of the Regulations.

At present, while solar farm development projects are not specifically listed as requiring assessment under the EIA Directive or under the Planning and Development Regulations, such development proposals may be required by the planning authority to undertake an environmental impact assessment, taking into account the criteria listed in Schedule 7.

The need for undertaking EIAs in respect of solar farm developments will be kept under review by my Department, in consultation with the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment.