Call for national framework to standardise solar farm planning applications
Thursday 24 September 2026
Senator Fiona O'Loughlin has expressed concern over the lack of a national policy on solar farms, calling for a standardised framework across local authorities.
Senator Fiona O'Post-Loughlin has called for a single national planning framework to standardise solar farm applications across Ireland's 31 local authorities.
Speaking during a Seanad debate on 22 September 2026, Senator O'Loughlin raised concerns over the lack of a unified national policy, noting that planning applications currently vary significantly across individual councils.
She stated that the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, along with the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, are currently working to develop a national planning statement on solar energy. However, she expressed concern that there does not seem to be urgency around the process, despite applications being submitted across the country.
To address this, Senator O'Loughlin highlighted that countries such as Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands utilise a specific matrix for land use. She argued that Ireland requires a similar single framework to standardise both solar farms and their planning applications.