Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 5 March 2026
219. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the work undertaken to date in formalising national planning guidelines for solar energy developments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17741/26]
View answer385. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department has issued, or plans to issue, any guidelines, policy frameworks, or technical standards relating to the development of solar farms and battery energy storage systems; if he will outline the regulatory or planning guidance currently in place for these technologies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14787/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 219 and 385 together.
The Programme for Government – Securing Ireland’s Future has reaffirmed Ireland’s targets of 80% of electricity demand to be met by renewables in the near term, with plans to move to net zero by 2050. The deployment of renewable electricity, including solar energy, is vital for Ireland to meet its ambitious domestic targets and international commitments. Solar energy is a growing source of electricity with circa 2.1 GW of solar power capacity currently installed in Ireland, however there is no doubt that further solar capacity is required and the Programme for Government reaffirms Ireland’s ambitious targets of 8 GW of solar capacity connected to the grid by 2030.
From a planning perspective, which my Department is responsible for, the Programme for Government contains a commitment to introduce new planning guidelines for solar energy development which will also consider the issue of battery storage. An important development in this regards is that Chapters 1 through 4 of Part 3 of the Planning and Development Act of 2024, came into effect on October 2, 2025. This provides the statutory basis for the National Planning Framework as well as the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies, and introduces provisions for National Planning Statements (NPS) which will replace section 28 planning guidelines. Therefore, the solar guidelines, once finalised, will issue as a National Planning Statement under the 2024 Act.
My Department is currently working on a scoping exercise, which remains at an early stage, to identify the component factors relevant to the preparation of this National Planning Statement, including any appropriate environmental reporting and public consultation requirements, European obligations such as the Renewable Energy Directive (RED III), battery storage facilities and the possible timeframe for publication of the National Planning Statement.
In line with EU Directive requirements, a strategic environmental assessment will likely be carried out on any draft National Planning Statement regarding solar energy development. The Department intends to undertake a public consultation on the draft Statement before it is finalised whereby individuals, communities and organisations will have an opportunity to submit observations on the draft Statement. Consequently, any draft National Planning Statement will be prepared following detailed analysis and consideration of the submissions received during the consultation phase.
The Programme for Government also committed to a Land Use Review to ensure that optimal land use options inform all relevant Government decisions. The second phase of the Land Use Review, which is led by DCEE and DAFM and is currently underway, will seek to identify the key demands on land (both public and private) to inform policies for land use across key government objectives, improving socioeconomic, climate, biodiversity, water, and air quality outcomes. My Department will need to factor the conclusions of this review into any draft National Planning Statement on solar energy development.
With regards to battery storage, grid scale electricity storage systems including battery electricity storage systems (BESS) play a vital role in Ireland’s energy transition by maximising the efficient use of renewable generated electricity. In support of electricity storage systems, the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, published the Electricity Storage Policy Framework for Ireland in 2024. Ireland conforms to EU legislation and all batteries in Ireland are manufactured, sold, and operated in line with EU regulation and standards; this includes safety certification and labelling for the marketing and the putting into service of batteries used in grid-connected electrical storage systems.
Until the finalisation of the National Planning Statement, it will remain the case that, as with the large majority of development types, there are currently no specific planning guidelines that deal with solar energy development. I am satisfied, that in the short to medium term, the current planning system provides a sufficiently robust policy and legislative framework to facilitate the proper planning and sustainable development of developments, which may be considered on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the relevant County Development Plan and Government Policy as applicable.
