Victor Boyhan: Kildare farmland at risk from 100+ ha solar plan
Victor Boyhan pays tribute to former Junior Minister Michael Healey-Ray and raises concerns about a planning application for over 100 hectares of solar panels on prime agricultural land in County Kildare.
Acknowledgement of service: Victor Boyhan begins by acknowledging the work of former Junior Minister Michael Healey-Ray, praising his engagement with the Agricultural Committee and his efforts on forestry strategy and outreach. He highlights Healey-Ray's commitment and long working days as a mark of dedication to the sector.
Planning application and agriculture: The core issue raised is a large planning application proposing more than 100 hectares of solar panels on prime farmland. Boyhan frames this as a challenge to sustainable agriculture and land use policy, questioning how much agricultural land should be converted to solar without a considered strategy.
Call for constructive discussion: Boyhan says he intends to submit observations to Commissioner Clonala and urges a constructive panel discussion on balancing renewable energy deployment with protecting productive farmland. He stresses the need for practical policy solutions that respect both energy and food production needs.
Acknowledgement of service: Victor Boyhan begins by acknowledging the work of former Junior Minister Michael Healey-Ray, praising his engagement with the Agricultural Committee and his efforts on forestry strategy and outreach. He highlights Healey-Ray's commitment and long working days as a mark of dedication to the sector.
Planning application and agriculture: The core issue raised is a large planning application proposing more than 100 hectares of solar panels on prime farmland. Boyhan frames this as a challenge to sustainable agriculture and land use policy, questioning how much agricultural land should be converted to solar without a considered strategy.
Call for constructive discussion: Boyhan says he intends to submit observations to Commissioner Clonala and urges a constructive panel discussion on balancing renewable energy deployment with protecting productive farmland. He stresses the need for practical policy solutions that respect both energy and food production needs.
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Transcript
Well at the very outset, I accept the order of business by the way, and I just want to say, I want to acknowledge the very significant role of the former Minister for, Junior Minister for State in the Department of Agriculture, Michael Healey-Ray. I have to say as someone who sits on the Agricultural Panel, who was elected on the Agricultural Panel, and has had a lot of dealings with him directly in relation to forestry and the new forestry strategy, he gave it his all. And that's to be fair to him, I want to acknowledge that. We worked well with our committee, he engaged with the Agricultural Committee well, and I think he set out for the first time, as long as I'm in these houses, his direct engagement with people on the ground, through his forestry workshops all over the country. I spoke to a number of civil servants last night about him, and they said the one thing about him, he was on the case at 6am every morning. He took a huge interest, so I just want to leave it at that, and I want to wish him well in his long political distinguished career that will go on further. The other thing I want to raise here today is in relation to the solar panels, and I suppose before I do so, I want to acknowledge that I and my family have owned and farmed a very substantial amount of land at the point of Narrowmoor and County Kildare, which links on to Ballandrum and Fonstown, one of the finest blocks, and I think you, Leader of Fianna Fáil, you know the place well, you'll agree with me. And we now have a situation where we have a massive planning application for in excess of over 100 hectares for solar panels, of what is prime agricultural land, and again an area that has a very substantial amount of, most of the country's broccoli is grown there. So I think we have an issue in relation to sustainable agriculture, the challenges around that, and how many hectares that we can allow to be taken in solar panels. So what I've been saying, Minister, I don't want to particularly comment about this planning application because it's my intention to make a submission to Commissioner Clonala, but to say I think we need a very constructive panel, a discussion here about the challenges around solar panels, solar energy, and how it fits in with sustainable agriculture and land use, which is really, really important. Thank you.