Vol. 564 No. 1
84 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to planning difficulties which have arisen for those who are promoting the development of wind farms; the national guidelines in this regard; and his views on whether an active planning policy is necessary if there is to be any coherent and co-ordinated policy for the development of renewable energy project facilities. [8789/03]
The development of alternative energy sources is a priority, nationally and at European level, for both environmental and energy policy reasons. My Department published Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Wind Farm Development in September 1996. The guidelines, a copy of which is available in the Oireachtas Library, are intended to facilitate implementation of Government policy in the development of renewable sources of energy. They are designed to assist planning authorities in making suitable provision for wind farm development in their development plans and to ensure a consistency of approach throughout the country to the treatment of planning applications for such development.
The guidelines are currently being reviewed in the light of experience since they were issued to ensure that they continue to be relevant and useful. As part of the review, a public consultation process has been undertaken. All comments received will be taken into consideration in the preparation of revised guidelines which I intend to issue later in the year.
I am aware of some objections raised by the then Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands to planning applications for wind farm development. I have already endorsed the need for a considerable expansion nationally of renewable energy developments and, in that context, for practical solutions to accommodate this kind of development with nature conservation requirements. It is not the case internationally that nature conservation requirements represent a major obstacle to the expansion of renewable energy, nor is this envisaged in Ireland. It will be important that the revised planning guidelines address the accommodation of wind farming and nature conservation requirements.
Will the Minister agree that although wind farms are an environmentally friendly way of generating energy, there are no clear guidelines on wind farms in any county development plan? The Department of the Environment and Local Government issued guidelines in 1996 but councils did not put those guidelines in their county development plans. Will the Minister recommend that special areas within counties be designated where it would be possible to get permission for wind farms? One end of the Government is telling us they are acceptable and Dúchas and the other end of the Government are objecting to them.
Not under me, they are not.
What is the Minister's view of the difficulties that have arisen in the south-west of the country regarding the protection of the hen harrier and the establishment of wind farms?
The hen harrier is a big issue over there.
I am glad the Deputy has raised this issue and I agree with much of what he has said. I fully support wind farms as a source of renewable energy which affords us great hope for the future. I have been straightforward in my response to the House on this matter. I do not see an incompatibility between special areas of conservation and the use of wind energy. There is no incompatibility between them.
That applies to the issue that has arisen lately with regard to the hen harrier in the south-west. As Minister responsible, I regret that the communications systems that were in place were not adequate to make clear the fact that we have only entered into a consultation process. Incorrect presumptions were made as to the impact of these. I am confident that we will have compatibility between wind energy, afforestation and areas of preservation.
In view of the apparent move away from nuclear energy in the British Government's White Paper on energy, will the Government incentivise investment in wind farming and similar forms of green energy? Incentives for the generation of renewable energy were reduced in the last budget. Will the Government consider reinstating those incentives and even increasing them?
I welcome what the Minister has said but it is still obvious that local authority planning offices are refusing planning permissions in all areas designated as special areas of conservation. Therefore, the Minister should give a directive to planning offices that this should not be the case and that he does not want this to be the case. Will the Minister direct councils to include in their county development plans areas that are zoned as suitable for the generation of wind energy?
Did I understand the Minister to state that the policy of Dúchas in respect of opposition to wind energy projects in special areas of conservation and special protection areas has changed since Dúchas was placed under his Department? Is it now the case that under his direction Dúchas will not be objecting in future to wind energy planning applications in special areas of conservation and special protection areas?
I welcome the Minister's statement. A problem is developing with regard to the AER VI programme which is to be introduced shortly. One of the conditions of the programme is that full planning permission must be granted before a project can qualify for inclusion. Planning permissions are being held up by local authorities because of the Dúchas designation of SPAs. In those circumstances, will the Minister consider extending this time limit to enable local authorities to deal with this issue, as he has already admitted that there has been a difficulty in communication?
I am not saying we cannot have special areas of conservation. We have them and we can respect them. However, there has been a perception that designation of an area precludes all other activity, particularly afforestation and wind energy.
That is what the councils think.
That is not the case. There is an absolute compatibility between all the requirements in the different areas.
Do the planning officers know that?
The need for conservation is compatible with the use of wind energy and afforestation. In fairness to Dúchas, it has only been involved with the refusal of planning permission in three cases.
