Press release
Approval given for development of General Scheme to Provide for Marine Protected Areas
From Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Published on
Last updated on
The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien, and Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan, have welcomed government approval for the development of a general scheme of a Bill to enable the designation and management of Marine Protected Areas in Ireland’s maritime territory.
Commenting on the decision, Minister O’Brien stated:
“As an island nation, our seas and our ocean are absolutely crucial for Ireland. They support our economy, inward and outward trade, our energy supply and communications systems, as well as our climate, our environment, our cultural traditions and heritage, our health and well-being. In order to ensure that our seas remain clean, healthy and productive, and our unique habitats and biodiversity are protected, we are committed to designating a network of up to 30% of our maritime area as marine protected areas (MPAs) by 2030.”
Minister of State with responsibility for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan, said:
“The development of this legislation is an important milestone as we work to progress Ireland’s network of Marine Protected Areas. It will provide us with strong powers to help address the twin environmental crises of biodiversity loss and climate change by protecting and conserving the marine ecosystems that underpin the essential and multifaceted services that coastal communities and wider society depend on, such as fishing, tourism, cultural heritage, climate regulation and resilience to environmental change. In the context of energy security and the ramping up of Ireland’s offshore renewable energy ambitions, it’s all the more important that we work at pace to deliver on our commitment to meeting both biodiversity and climate objectives.”
It is intended that the legislation will provide for the identification, designation, regulation, management, enforcement and review of MPAs, ensuring that they form a coherent, connected, representative and climate-resilient network. This legislation will make key provisions for public and stakeholder participation and engagement in relation to the MPA process. It will also make provisions for implementation and enforcement structures and will be designed to work in parallel with the Maritime Area Planning Act 2021 and existing legal protection measures under the Wildlife Acts and the EU Birds and Habitats Directives. The 2020 Programme for Government included a commitment to expand Ireland’s network of MPAs to 10% of its maritime area as soon as is practical, aiming for 30% coverage by 2030.
It is intended that the heads of the Bill will be brought to Government for approval as soon as possible, with work on drafting and enacting the primary MPA legislation expected to follow thereafter.
These targets are in line with a range of international commitments under:
The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) requires spatial protection measures such as MPAs, to protect biodiversity as part of national programmes of measures, and to contribute to the achievement of good environmental status.
An MPA Expert Advisory Group was convened by the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government in Autumn 2019. The group was chaired by Professor Tasman Crowe of UCD’s Earth Institute.
Its purpose was to review and report on the scientific, economic, legal and social aspects of expanding Ireland’s network of MPAs.
The group submitted a detailed report to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform in October 2020.
The report made over 60 recommendations on how to expand Ireland’s MPA network, including a need for dedicated new primary legislation to provide for MPAs.
The report was published in Irish and English on 26 January 2021.
The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH) undertook a public consultation on the report and the wider MPA process, concluding in July 2021. More than 2,300 submissions were received.
An independent analysis of these submissions was undertaken and the findings were published on 31 March 2022.
This analysis identified a near universal support for MPAs. It also illustrated diverse demands from the marine environment including for conservation; for economic uses (in particular, fisheries and aquaculture, offshore renewable energies and transport), and for cultural and recreational use and non-use.
The report also highlighted the expressed need for ongoing stakeholder participation in Ireland’s future MPA development and management processes.
The general Scheme of the Bill will provide for the identification, designation, regulation, management, enforcement and review of MPAs, aiming to ensure that they form a coherent, connected, representative and climate-resilient network.
The proposed legislation will accommodate, complement and reinforce existing legislation as appropriate, including the Birds and Habitats Directives and associated regulations, the Wildlife Acts and the Maritime Area Planning Act 2021.
For further information, please click the following link: Marine Protected Areas