Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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192. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he has engaged with the Minister for Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage in respect of reviewing and or amending planning guidelines or regulations in respect of SEAI-funded solar installation on houses; if his attention has been drawn to the requirement in some instances in which an applicant for solar installations must provide drawings and apply for planning permission to carry out works; his own plans to simplify the process from grant application to installation of solar on houses. [53306/22]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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193. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he and or his officials will review the planning requirements for the installation of solar panels on houses. [53307/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 192 and 193 together.Earlier this year, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, (DHLGH) in consultation with my Department, completed a review of the solar panel planning exemptions set out in the Planning and Development Regulations, with a particular focus on facilitating increased self-generation of electricity.

Consequently, the Planning and Development Act 2000 (Exempted Development) (No. 3) Regulations 2022 and the supporting Planning and Development (Solar Safeguarding Zone) Regulations 2022 came into effect on 5 October 2022. The regulations combine to provide updated provisions regarding planning exemptions for rooftop solar installations.

Under the revised regulations the following is now allowed:

Houses, regardless of location, may now install unlimited solar panels on their rooftops without any requirement for planning permission (subject to certain conditions). The 12sqm/ 50% roof limit which previously applied to houses has been removed nationwide.

Exemptions also apply to rooftops of industrial buildings, business premises, community and educational buildings, places of worship, health buildings, libraries, certain public utility sites and farms

Exemptions are subject to, among other things, minor setback distances from the edge of the roof and subject to general restrictions on exempted development including those regarding protected structures and Architectural Conservations Areas.

These regulations aim to bring Ireland into line with the EU’s Solar Rooftops Initiative by making permitting procedures for installing solar on rooftops shorter and simpler. It supports a target of installing up to 380MW (approximately 1 million solar panels) of microgeneration capacity as part of Ireland’s overall solar targets under the government’s Climate Action Plan.

With these new exemptions we are removing barriers and ensuring that individuals, communities, businesses and farms can generate their own electricity, reduce their own bills and play their part in creating a zero-carbon future fuelled by renewable energy.