Carol Nolan demands timeline for revised wind farm guidelines

Minister, I wish to raise the issue of the revised wind farm guidelines. We obviously need to make sure that communities' rights are respected and upheld, and also that there is balance in terms of representing the rights of communities, and not just making sure that it is all one-way traffic. These revised guidelines have been promised for years, but we do need to prioritise community consultation and address householder concerns in relation to noise and flicker levels. I would like to ask you when these guidelines will be published, and if you can give me a specific timeline, because it has been kicked down the road for too long. My department is currently undertaking a focus review, as you are aware, on the wind energy guidelines. The review is addressing a number of key aspects, including noise, setback, shadow flicker, community obligation, community dividend and grid connections. Guidance on the noise aspect is currently being finalised by my department in conjunction with the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications, which has primary responsibility for environmental noise matters. Government work has been undertaken on the noise elements, and the two departments recently met to discuss new developments in this regard, including consideration of the impact of the revised 2030 target to generate up to 80 per cent of our electricity from renewable sources, and the need to ensure that proposals regarding measurement and assessment of noise from wind turbines are fit for purpose. The aspects are currently being considered by the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications, and further engagement between the departments are expected imminently. Following the interdepartmental engagement, I would be in a better position to provide an update on the expected publication date of the revised guidelines, the finalisation of which remains a priority for the Department. It also should be noted that the review and finalisation of the guidelines has been included in as a specific action plan in the recently published Climate Action Plan. Thank you for your reply, but I would just like to know when will the interdepartmental engagement come to an end? I mean, have we got a timeframe? Have we got a timeline? It is just this has gone on for years in here now, where we are waiting for revised guidelines to address the concerns of communities, you know, who have legitimate concerns around noise and shadow flicker. And I know, Minister, that, you know, there is huge concern. I know Le Monaghan in County Offaly, where there is a proposal for a wind farm in my own constituency, there has been 2,300 submissions from residents. So clearly that indicates that is just one small area. But we need to ensure here, as legislators, that there is balance and that there is fairness, and that the rights of all communities are upheld. And I think the respectful and the right thing to do is to give people a timeline and a guideline and some sort of a date when these guidelines will be published, rather than this indefinite answer of when engagement finishes here, there or wherever. Let's give them some certainty on a date. Thank you, Karen Corlan. I thank Deputy Nolan for her supplementary. And obviously, in the first instance, I would love to give an exact date, but unfortunately, I can't because I don't have one. As you referred to public consultation, there were 500 submissions in the round of public consultation to bring about the draft guidelines. And contained within that, some were very technical in terms of noise, which are being assessed on a bilateral basis with the Department of Environment, Climate Action and Communications. And in terms of publishing the next finalised version, you know, if there's a significant revision to the guidelines, another strategic environmental assessment may be required. That's a distinct possibility. We're engaging proactively to try and resolve this, but it is very technical. And I, from a rural community, know exactly what you referenced there, because it has been a significant issue in my county too. I think we need to get a fair balance for residents and to ensure, on the other hand, that we can meet our renewable targets as well. Thank you for your response, but I would appreciate if you could come back with a direct answer and a definite answer in terms of the interdepartmental engagement. You've mentioned that step in the process and I would like to know when that's finishing, just so that I can inform my constituents that this is what's happening and give them some idea of the process and where it is and where we are in terms of dates. But I do want to say that, you know, these communities are experiencing real difficulty at pre-planning stage where the objections of local communities, as I say, are routinely ignored. And there seems to be a charade of compliance and meaningful consultation. But, you know, really and truly, communities aren't falling for this. They need certainty, they need definite protections and strong protections. Wind energy developers say that they've been committed to implementing the current code of practice, which emphasises full and transparent engagement with local communities. But this, again, is not the experience, unfortunately, of many communities who do feel powerless in the face of commercial power of these companies. So I think that there has to be some urgency put on these draft guidelines, because it's going on for years and they can't go on any longer. Yes, I absolutely hear the urgency and it's been the same position when I entered the department. I have brought urgency to this as well. But unfortunately, it's beyond our control. And I genuinely say that to you, because we have another department involved. But outside of that, in terms of the technicality of the noise measurements, and the difficulty is that, you know, we may require another SEA, as I alluded to, that's going to take a significant period of time, if we do require it. But as soon as I have a further update, because we've only had a meeting last week in the department about it, as soon as I have an update, I'll revert to Deputy Nolan in writing. But I do understand our concerns, and they are genuine. I absolutely understand that. And I feel them in my own community as well. Thank you.