Sinn Féin TD for Galway East, Louis O’Hara, has called on Government to ensure oversight of biogas developments in the light of plans to develop a plant in the Gort area.
Deputy O’Hara raised the proposed Gort Biogas development with the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, in the Dáil, saying while he knows that renewable energy has an important role to play , but that this is simply the wrong development in the wrong location.
“Placing a heavy industrial anaerobic digestion facility right on the edge of Gort town—adjacent to homes, schools, and sensitive ecological sites—is completely unacceptable to the local community.
“The community have had to put in a significant amount of time and resources over several years responding to this proposal and now it is back in the planning process again,” he said.
Deputy O’Hara called on the Taoiseach and Government to step up and ensure proper oversight of these developments
“When will we see reform of our planning frameworks to guarantee that local communities are meaningfully consulted and respected going forward, rather than forced to fight unsuitable proposals on their doorstep?”
In response, the Taoiseach said that Government cannot get involved in every single planning application in respect of a biogas facility or in respect of a wind farm or in respect of solar panels
“The country can’t be run that way. We have local authorities, we have a planning system, there has to be proper guidelines yes, planning statements governing all of this but in the end of the day it’s something that has to be dealt with through the planning process.
Speaking after the exchange, Teachta O’Hara said the Taoiseach acknowledged the need for planning guidelines, however there are currently no specific planning guidelines or regulations in place in respect of biogas developments.
That is a failure of Government.This proposed development is of a very large scale and is totally unsuitable to the area and the town of Gort. It underlines the need for planning regulations offering real protection to communities like Gort from inappropriately located industrial developments,” he concluded.
