Cllrs want clear national guidelines on solar farms

The covering of “some of the finest farmland in Europe” with solar panels came under fire at a meeting of Meath County Council last week, when two councillors proposed motions calling for clear national guidelines on solar farms.

Cllr Michael Gallagher warned that we needed to keep Meath's farmland in production to ensure food security while Cllr Caroline O'Reilly Solar developments should not be encroaching on or infringing on established residential areas.

Councillor O'Reilly called on the council to write to the Minister for Local Government to request the development clear national guidelines on renewable energy developments, “including solar farms, with particular regard to grid connection capacity and prioritisation, community impact, proper spatial planning, and the protection of agricultural land.”

Councillor Gallagher urged the council to write to the Minister calling for guidelines and a provision that agricultural productivity and quality of land will be a material consideration in the assessment of such applications.

Cllr Gallagher said some of the finest land in Meath, and indeed Europe was being covered with solar farms. “It is an absolute disgrace. There needs to be proper guidelines for both solar and wind farms.

“With climate change coming down the line, we need to hold onto the land we have. We are losing land but we need to keep our tillage, beef and dairy farms. We need to keep whatever land we have alive,” Cllr Gallagher said.

Cllr Reilly said recent tensions highlighted how vulnerable Ireland remains due to its reliance on imported fossil fuels.

“This underlines the importance of renewable energy, but also the need to get the planning right.

“Solar energy has a key role to play, particularly when you look at what’s happening globally. Events like this show how exposed we are and why energy security matters.”

She said the focus now must be on ensuring developments are properly planned and supported by clear guidance.

“What we need is a stronger and more consistent framework so that these developments are delivered in a coordinated and sensible way. That means looking at the full picture from the outset, including how projects will connect to the grid and the infrastructure required to support them.”

Cllr O’Reilly pointed to a pattern where solar farm developments are progressing without fully addressing grid connection and substation requirements at application stage.

“In some cases, this has resulted in landowners being approached after permission has been granted in order to facilitate substations and grid connection infrastructure, creating uncertainty and pressure on land availability.

“Taking the time to plan these elements properly at the beginning will help avoid difficulties down the line and ensure a smoother process for everyone involved.”

She also stressed the importance of appropriate siting and protecting agricultural land.

Cllr O’Reilly noted that the Programme for Government included a commitment to develop national planning guidelines for solar energy and battery storage, and said these must now be progressed.

“There is already a commitment at Government level to deliver these guidelines. Given the pace of development and the importance of energy security, we need to see them brought forward as a priority.

“This isn’t anti-development. It’s about doing it properly and planning the full picture from the outset so that it works for the energy system, food chain and for local communities.”

A spokesperson for Meath County Council said; “The Programme for Government 2025; Securing Ireland’s Future included a commitment to ensure the managed development of solar energy and battery power through the development of national planning guidelines. The Council will write to the Minister requesting an update on the preparation of these guidelines.”

- Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme