Wind farm in Gaeltacht could proceed despite absence of conservation objectives at time of decision

The High Court refused to quash a planning authority's decision to grant permission for a wind farm development in the Gaeltacht area, dismissing various grounds of challenge brought by an environmental group. While the State conceded that site-specific conservation objectives for a relevant Special Protection Area were absent at the time of the decision and a declaration to that effect was made by consent, the court held that this did not warrant the granting of certiorari or any other substantive relief. The majority of the applicant's arguments—such as alleged failures in Irish language provision, environmental assessments, and procedural errors—were dismissed as either harmless error, insufficiently proven, or lacking material consequence. The judgment emphasised the need for proportionate remedies, the importance of renewable energy infrastructure in the climate context, and the limits of judicial review in overturning technical or minor errors. Costs were reserved or refused except in respect of the declaration conceded by the State.