Ministers O'Brien and Dooley drive forward legislation to safeguard Irish Seas and streamline maritime planning

The government today approved the preparation of a General Scheme for the Maritime Area Planning (Marine Protected Areas) (Amendment) Bill which will amend the Maritime Area Planning Act 2021. The Bill will provide a legislative basis for the designation and effective management of marine protected areas (MPAs) in Irish waters. It will also provide for a number of other amendments to the Maritime Area Planning Act 2021, which have been identified through practical application of the Act so far. This will further support the regulatory system and ensure a streamlined, effective, and efficient delivery of maritime planning in Ireland.

Approval in principle was also given for the transfer of the consenting function of the Environmental Protection Agency under the Dumping at Sea Act 1996 to the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority (MARA). Provisions for the transfer of this function will be included in the Maritime Area Planning (Marine Protected Areas) (Amendment) Bill General Scheme.

This revised approach moves away from creating a third system of spatial designations in Irish waters previously proposed and, instead, aligns the marine protected area designation process with the current regulatory system for marine spatial planning. In this regard, the Maritime Area Planning (Marine Protected Areas) (Amendment) Bill will amend the Maritime Area Planning Act 2021 to allow for the designation and effective management of MPAs using the Act’s existing spatial planning tool, termed Designated Maritime Area Plans (DMAPs). This approach will provide for the key elements which will underpin effective marine protection.

Speaking about the Maritime Area Planning (Marine Protected Areas) (Amendment) Bill, Minister O'Brien said:

"Ireland has an obligation under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) to achieve and maintain good environmental status in our maritime area. Among the measures laid down by the MSFD are spatial protection measures, including area-based conservation measures like MPAs that will contribute to the achievement of good status in our marine waters. This decision and its expected legislative outcome will further enable Ireland to meet its target of protecting 30% of the maritime area in an ecologically coherent manner by 2030."

Minister of State Timmy Dooley said:

"My primary ambition is to achieve our stated ambition of designating 30% of the maritime area protected by 2030. I consider that our new legislative approach will ensure that we get there as quickly as possible, establishing an ecologically coherent network of MPAs, and achieving this by empowering us to use the existing spatial planning tool, namely, the DMAP process of designated marine area plans."

This approach will continue to support the attainment of the objectives of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) and the National Marine Planning Framework, and it will include an in-depth public participation process. This will build on and complement the stakeholder and public participation undertaken to date under Ireland's DMAP process, and the MPA process.

A full General Scheme for the Maritime Area Planning (Marine Protected Areas) (Amendment) Bill will be brought to government, whose approval will then be sought to draft a Bill on that basis for publication and presentation to the Oireachtas.

ENDS