Solar Farms: Where are the benefits to the community?

With five solar farms under construction or completed in the Ratoath Municipal Area, a local councillor has expressed concern that there are still no national guidelines on their planning or operation.

Cllr Nick Killian also called for the community funding which will become available when they are operational to be administered in the same way as funding from projects such as the Indaver incinerator.

“We have at least five solar farms being built or completed and several others in planning all around the county," said Cllr Killian. "One of the biggest is 480 acres.

“I have no issue with the development of solar farms, but I am concerned with how they are operated and how the local communities are going to benefit from the funding.”

Cllr Killian said there are still no national guidelines in place for solar farms. "Minister Ryan has been negligent on this, as there are no rules in place.

“There should be guidelines on how these solar farms operate, especially when so many are being constructed."

Cllr Killian also highlighted the need for a co-ordinated approach to the distribution of community funding arising from the facilities.

“These facilities will be making money available for a community fund and we need to find out who is in charge of that, how will it be organised or distributed.

“There are already structures in place for this already with the Meath Co Council like the Indaver Carranstown Community Fund.

“I am calling for information on how these funds will be administered and I ask our local Dail deputies to pursue this.

“I would also be concerned about whether they are being built to the specifications in the planning permission.

"We had been told that solar farms would allow for grazing sheep under the structures but I've seen some under that don't seem to be able to accommodate sheep.”

Cllr Damien O'Reilly said that we want Foreign Direct Investment into the county and the multi-nationals want to use renewable energy.

“The majority of the neighbours to these farms have no issue with them.

“If Ireland wants to be carbon neutral by 2050, the only way we can achieve it is by having solar, wind and sea energy.

“I know some operators are better than others with public consultation. There are those that want this infrastructure over in the west where the land is bad, but the majority of the population and the jobs are on this side of the country,” he said.