Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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283. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he is binging any proposals to permit the automatic granting of permission for wind energy projects that have been waiting for over two years for planning approval; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7359/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Wind energy projects are complex developments that require full and proper assessment by the relevant planning authority or An Bord Pleanála (the Board). In making decisions on a planning application, a planning authority, or the Board as appropriate, must consider the proper planning and sustainable development of the area having regard to the provisions of the local development plan, any relevant Ministerial or Government policies, any planning guidelines issued by my Department and any submissions or observations received from the public and the statutory consultees.

While I do not plan to amend planning legislation in the manner suggested in the Question, the draft Planning and Development Bill 2022, will deliver a range of improvements to assist the delivery of renewable energy infrastructure, in particular by:

- the alignment of the plan making hierarchy to ensure greater consistency between national policy and local implementation;

- the introduction of statutory mandatory timelines for all consent processes, including those of the Board. For the Board's processes, it is proposed to introduce mandatory timelines for appeals as well as the various consent applications made directly to it, including Strategic Infrastructure Developments. These timelines will be introduced on a phased basis, starting with Strategic Infrastructure Developments, including energy projects;

- introducing timelines for the various steps in the Judicial Review process including for pleadings, hearing of cases and delivery of judgements by the Courts;

- providing increased clarity on the integration of the scope and role of environmental assessments into plan making functions and the consenting process, with all provisions reviewed to ensure alignment with relevant EU Directives; and

- reviewing the processes for projects of Imperative Reasons of Overriding Public Interest (IROPI) to better reflect the intent of the EU Habitats Directive.

The draft Planning and Development Bill 2022 was agreed by Government on the 13 December 2022 and is currently undergoing pre-legislative scrutiny by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Once concluded, the final Bill will proceed before the Houses of the Oireachtas with a view to its enactment by Summer 2023.