Galway Solar Farm Proposal Prompts Renewed Calls for National Planning Guidelines
Sunday 1 November 2026
A proposed 93-hectare solar farm in Knockdoe and Lackagh has drawn around 150 submissions, prompting questions over how such developments are assessed without national policy.
A proposed 93-hectare solar farm in County Galway has reignited calls for national planning guidelines to govern large-scale renewable energy applications.
The proposed development, situated in Knockdoe and Lackagh, has received around 150 submissions during the planning process.
Both residents and politicians have raised concerns regarding how large-scale solar energy projects are evaluated in the absence of an overarching national planning policy. The volume of formal feedback on the Galway proposal brings renewed attention to the assessment criteria applied to major renewable infrastructure across Irish planning authorities.