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The Government is to make major changes to the way in which Ireland’s marine waters are protected and developed, including the construction of billions of euro worth of offshore wind farms.
Under a new National Marine Planning Framework (NMPF), legislation will be produced by the Department of the Environment that will lay down policy until 2040.
Details of the Maritime Area Planning Bill were announced in Dún Laoghaire by Taoiseach Micheál Martin on Thursday. It would, he said, set down “for the first time in our history” proper legislation to manage Ireland’s seas.
The legislation to come will set down a vision for how “we want to use, protect and enjoy our seas”, according to Minister for Heritage Darragh O’Brien.
The legislation on managing marine development and protecting natural resources was approved by Cabinet on Tuesday, and will go before Oireachtas from next week.
Mr Martin said the legislation represented “the biggest reform of marine governance in a century”.
“It enables us to set a clear direction for managing our seas, and to clarify environmental, economic and social priorities,” he added.
Existing State and development consent regimes are being replaced and streamlined based on a single consent principle; “one State consent (maritime area consent) to enable occupation of the maritime area and one development consent (planning permission) with a single environmental assessment”.
This will be processed through a new body, the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority (Mara), which will be based in Wexford and have enforcement powers.
Near-shore development will be processed through a new foreshore licensing regime, with local authorities having a greater role in their area. Larger offshore projects including wind farms and electricity interconnectors will go through An Bord Pleanála but be licensed by Mara.
Fishing industry
The framework contains a vision, objectives and planning policies for all marine-based human activities and outlines “how those activities will interact with each other in an increasingly pressured ocean space”, Mr Martin said. But it is also designed to provide greater certainty for investors in Ireland’s offshore wind resources.
Those pressures included impacts on the fishing industry post-Brexit, but this sector would continue to be central to the marine economy, he said.
Speaking at the NMPF launch in Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin, Minister for the Environment Eamon Ryan said the framework was the Government’s response to a scenario where “we are navigating through the most troubled waters possible” due to climate disruption.
This was reflected in temperatures of 50 degrees currently being experienced in parts of Canada, temperatures that would normally be experienced in the hottest deserts; seas that were changing with melting ice sheets in Greeland; and uncertainties with the gulf stream, “as this climate change chaos starts to unravel before our eyes”.
Ireland, with a sea area 10 times greater that its land area, has a particular responsibility to monitor, protect and manage it in a sustainable way, he added.
The framework and Bill would have huge implications for providing telecommunication cables, fishing and for other economic activities, including development of offshore energy in one of the windiest parts of the world – which would power the economy while protecting the environment.
“Our offshore wind resources are also a wonderful opportunity for us to break free from fossil fuels and reach our ambitious climate goals ... We are determined that as we develop our resources, we do so in a way that protects and restores our marine environment and its biodiversity. Additional legislation to follow on marine protected areas will be crucial in helping us achieve that,” Mr Ryan said.