Policy information
Marine Planning and Development
From Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications
Published on
Last updated on
Traditionally, any development of Ireland's natural resources has been led by developers and regulated by certain departments and agencies. However, increased development demands and the challenge of achieving the targets set out in Ireland's Climate Action Plan, which include offshore renewable generation of electricity from wind, mean that we need a new approach to ensure the development of Ireland's marine resources is sustainable.
This approach requires a robust planning and licensing framework, underpinned by legislation and regulation and a scientific approach to setting environmental targets and thresholds for activity.
The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment manages the granting of consents for activities which develop these natural resources.
The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, (DHLGH) is responsible for implementing the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) and the National Marine Planning Framework (NMPF) on behalf of the government, with input from other departments and agencies, which aim to deliver a sustainable, planned and holistic approach to regulating Ireland's marine resources.
DHLGH recently launched two consultations on these frameworks:
The government also recently approved the General Scheme of the Marine Planning and Development Management (MPDM) Bill in December 2019.