Meeting Ireland's renewable energy commitments will require "increasing integration" of solar and wind farms with agricultural land, according to Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment, Darragh O'Brien.

The minister made the comments in reply to a parliamentary question from Fianna Fáil TD Seán Ó Fearghaíl who asked whether solar farms "would be best located on marginal land or cutaway bogs".

The Kildare South TD also queried whether the use of prime agricultural land for the generation of energy in this way should be avoided.

Responding to these questions, Minister O'Brien said that Ireland has made "enormous progress" in developing solar energy in recent years.

He said: ""At this time of global energy uncertainty, it is now more important than ever to continue to develop our indigenous renewable resources to support long-term energy security and price stability for Irish households and businesses."

The minister stated that the total installed capacity of solar energy stands at over 2.4GW, adding that the "accelerated deployment of both rooftop solar and solar farms is a critical part of meeting the government's commitment to delivering 80% of Ireland's electricity demand from renewable energy sources".

The minister continued, saying that ESB Networks published figures last year that indicated it is expected the national target of 8GW of solar PV in Ireland "to require land area equal to just 0.26% of all agricultural land, equal to approximately 32,000ac".

"While the development of solar on agricultural land is a change of use, it holds significant potential for biodiversity, helping to meet nature restoration goal, in additional to offering an attractive income diversification opportunity for farmers, and is compatible with some farming activities," Minister O'Brien said.

The minister also explained that the Programme for Government sets out a commitment to introduce planning guidelines for solar farms and that a a new national planning statement on solar energy under the new Planning and Development Act 2024 is being developed by the Department for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

The minister added that all renewable electricity developments are subject to "careful independent scrutiny" at the planning application stage, at which point human health, residential amenities and environmental protection are of central consideration.