Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 October 2016
546. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when he expects to publish his Department's renewable electricity policy and development framework, which closed for submissions earlier in 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32080/16]
View answerThe Energy White Paper sets out a vision to accelerate the development and diversification of renewable energy in Ireland. To ensure that Ireland meets its future needs for renewable electricity in a sustainable manner, compatible with the environmental and cultural heritage, landscape and amenity considerations, a draft Renewable Electricity Policy and Development Framework (REPDF) has been formulated. The REPDF is aimed at optimising the opportunities for producing electricity from renewable energy sources in projects of significant scale on land and is to be underpinned by a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and an Appropriate Assessment.
The REPDF is intended to provide guidance to citizens, industry, An Bord Pleanála, and other public authorities, and is for use in conjunction with the Wind Energy Development Guidelines, which are also being updated. This work, along with a review of the Guidelines, will set a clear framework for the development of renewable energy infrastructure into the future.
The public consultation on the draft Scoping Report for the SEA closed in April 2016 and the submissions in response to this process are published on my Department's website at www.dccae.gov.ie. A further consultation on the Environmental Report and the draft Framework is planned, with notice of the finalisation of the SEA and adoption of the Framework in 2017.
