Marine Plan for Ireland

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johnd
Posts: 136
Joined: Sat Oct 26, 2013 9:37 am

Marine Plan for Ireland

Post by johnd » Wed Dec 13, 2017 9:16 am

Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government Eoghan Murphy and Minister Damien English today (12 December 2017) published Towards a Marine Spatial Plan for Ireland – a roadmap for the development of Ireland’s first marine spatial plan. Marine Spatial Planning is a way of looking at how we use the marine area and planning how best to use it into the future. MSP will try to balance the different demands for using the sea including the need to protect the marine environment. It's about planning when and where human activities take place at sea. It’s about ensuring these activities are as efficient and sustainable as possible. Maritime spatial planning involves stakeholders in a transparent way in the planning of maritime activities.

Minister Murphy said that “Ireland is a maritime nation and we derive so much of our cultural, social and economic identity from our relationship with the seas that surround us. We are fortunate to have one of the largest and richest marine resources of all EU Member States. The Government has set out clear and ambitious objectives under Harnessing Our Ocean Wealth (HOOW) - Ireland’s integrated marine plan - to enable our marine potential to be realised. For example, we aim to double the value of our ocean wealth to 2.4% of GDP by 2030 and increase the turnover from our ocean economy to exceed €6.4bn by 2020. Reaching these goals will mean significant growth in seafood production and aquaculture, maritime transport, marine renewable energy, marine biotechnology and ICT, marine and coastal tourism and leisure. At the same time, we also recognise the importance of our rich marine biodiversity and ecosystems to our ocean wealth. We need a marine spatial plan to provide a coherent strategic spatial framework encompassing all plans and sectoral policies for the marine area that also ensures the sustainable management of our marine environment.”

The MSP for Ireland, which will be developed over the next 3 years, will provide a coherent framework in which specific sectoral policies and objectives can be realised. It is intended to become a decision making tool for regulatory authorities and policy makers into the future in a number of ways including, decisions on individual consent applications which will have to have regard to the provisions of the plan in the same way that terrestrial plans form part of the decision making tool-kit in the on-land planning process. It is also intended to form a key input to the development of future sectoral policies, similar to role of the National Planning Framework, Ireland2040, in terms of terrestrial sectoral policy development.

Minister English, who has specific responsibility for implementation of the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive, said that “a clear framework for MSP, as a parallel to the National Planning Framework, Ireland2040, will bring a new level of coherence to how we plan and manage our marine resource. For example, a marine spatial plan will support sustainable environmental management of marine areas, improved certainty and predictability for private investments, lower transaction costs for maritime businesses and improved competitiveness for our marine sectors, improved use of sea space and coexistence of uses in coastal zones and marine waters. The plan will also ensure that our coastal regions and communities continue to be attractive places to live and work.

The roadmap document marks the first stage in the development of Ireland’s marine spatial plan. There will be four broad stages in the development of the plan:
  • The first, of which the roadmap forms a central part, is the start-up or activation phase in which the Government’s proposed approach to developing MSP is announced and initial contact is made with stakeholders. This will run until end 2017.
  • The main development stage will commence in Q1 2018 and run until end Q3 2019. This will initially involve the analysis and identification of data and information required to provide a robust evidence base to underpin the MSP. It will also include the publication of an evidence and issues overview for public consultation in 2018, which will be the subject of a formal public consultation process. This process will inform the development of a full draft plan for publication in 2019 with a further consultation process running until end 2019.
  • Stage 3 is the finalisation phase in which a final plan will be prepared for submission to Government in 2020 with supporting environmental assessments (strategic environmental assessment under the SEA Directive, appropriate assessment under Birds and Habitats Directives) for approval before forwarding the final plan to the European Commission ahead of the March 2021 deadline set out under the Directive.
  • Stage 4 is implementation and review commencing on publication of the final Marine Spatial Plan.

As set out in Roadmap document, throughout the process there will be a strong focus on public engagement, including a number of former public consultation processes and environmental assessments. These will be supplemented with a number of public regional workshops and seminars and interactive web based arrangements will be provided for, including the establishment of a dedicated website www.msp.gov.ie

In the meantime further information is available at www.housing.gov.ie
Last edited by johnd on Thu Dec 14, 2017 11:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.

john.ruston
Posts: 39
Joined: Thu Aug 28, 2014 11:51 pm

Re: Marine Plan for Ireland

Post by john.ruston » Wed Dec 13, 2017 8:01 pm

Thanks for bringing this to our attention. It seems that representations will be sought from a wide range of interests.
As a recreational group almost exclusively concerned with maritime activity, should ISKA put itself forward as a stakeholder to be included in the Consultative Process?

john.ruston
Posts: 39
Joined: Thu Aug 28, 2014 11:51 pm

Re: Marine Plan for Ireland

Post by john.ruston » Thu Dec 14, 2017 8:32 pm

Above:from me rephrased.
Should Sea-kayaking be represented by Sea Kayakers
OR by some other assorted kayakers OR some undifferentiated sports body with good connections.
The EU will have these schemes put in place.
Its right and good that the government is canvassing for input.

It seems a one off chance to ensure that Sea-kayaking is represented by a purely sea kayaking voice.

Up north we lost the chance for local sea paddlers to get a direct voice in creating impact statements for planning's consultative process. Would you want this to happen in your area ?

john.ruston
Posts: 39
Joined: Thu Aug 28, 2014 11:51 pm

Re: Marine Plan for Ireland

Post by john.ruston » Sat Dec 16, 2017 2:56 pm

The guidelines given under one of the links above says that the initial phase will be that where the ministry will make initial contact with stakeholders. This period is given as up until end of December 2017.

It does seem a very brief period of notice considering the plan was only just announced (on 12th I think).

ISKA has a heaven sent opportunity to become the prime point of contact with Ireland's sea-kayaking population.

johnd
Posts: 136
Joined: Sat Oct 26, 2013 9:37 am

Re: Marine Plan for Ireland

Post by johnd » Fri Sep 21, 2018 10:08 am

The Press Release below announcing publication of the National Marine Planning Framework Baseline Report:

New report a key step in process to establish Ireland’s first National Marine Planning Framework

A new report published today [18 September, 2018] brings together for the first time a clear picture of all activity in Ireland’s seas. The National Marine Planning Framework Baseline Report is a key part of the process of developing Ireland’s first marine spatial plan, which will be the equivalent of the National Planning Framework for the marine area.

As identified in Harnessing Our Ocean Wealth, a comprehensive National Marine Planning Framework enable the Government set a clear direction for managing our seas, clarify objectives and priorities, and direct decision-makers, users and stakeholders towards more strategic, efficient use of marine resources.

The purpose of the Baseline report is to set out the context in which the marine spatial plan is being developed and help to identify the key issues marine planning will need to address. It sets out a description of the “as is” situation in terms of existing sectoral development and activities in Ireland’s maritime area, including an identification of the future opportunities and constraints for each, and number of consultation questions or issues intended to prompt discussion and consideration amongst stakeholders. Responses to these questions will be a crucial input to the draft plan. The first draft NMPF is intended to be published in mid-2019 for a further round of consultation.

Stakeholder and public engagement is a critical part of the process and representatives from all the key sectors comprise an advisory group overseeing the process. This includes fisheries, aquaculture, energy, tourism, sport, local authorities as well as the social and economic pillars and environmental NGOs such as Bird Watch Ireland, SWAN, Coastwatch, An Taisce and the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group.

The Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government is responsible for the development of the framework and Minister of State Damien English has specific responsibility for marine planning. Speaking on the Baseline Report, which was brought to the Government for approval at today’s Cabinet meeting, the Minister said: ‘When we see the demands being placed on our marine area clearly laid out we can effectively consider whether those demands can be met simultaneously or whether some management or governance is required in particular areas.
As we move further along the process of plan-making, the report, and your feedback on it
will play a critical part in the examining of potential synergies and co-existences, facilitating
conflict resolution, anticipating future spatial needs and balancing the ecological, economic
and social elements of the marine in a sustainable fashion.
Developed with assistance from the Marine Institute, the report is available to be viewed on the department website, www.housing.gov.ie and the public are invited to make submissions on it until midday 14 December 2018. A series of regional events will take place on the Baseline Report in Waterford (2nd October), Galway (5th October), Sligo (12th October), Cork (19thf October) and Dublin (23rd October). These will be introduced by the Minister and will feature an international perspective and a moderated panel discussion featuring high-profile guests from a range of marine-related backgrounds (environmental, renewable energy, sport, planners, port authorities etc.) with audience participation. The panellists will be invited to give their sectoral perspective on what objectives or policies they think Ireland’s National Marine Planning Framework should include. For more see the website, twitter: @MSP_Ireland or email msp@housing.gov.ie

johnd
Posts: 136
Joined: Sat Oct 26, 2013 9:37 am

Re: Marine Plan for Ireland

Post by johnd » Fri Sep 21, 2018 10:12 am

Please see below links to book tickets for all regional National Marine Planning Framework Baseline Report events. Minister Damien English will introduce the events (Minister Seán Kyne in Galway) and each event will feature a presentation on the Baseline Report, an international perspective on MSP and a moderated panel discussion. Please come along to find out more and play your part in the development of Ireland’s first marine spatial plan.

[WIT, Waterford: Tuesday, October 2nd, 9.30am-12.30pm: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/launch-of-t ... 6?ref=estw

The Town Hall Theatre, Galway: Friday, October 5th, 9.30am-12.30pm: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/launch-of-t ... 3?ref=estw

IT Sligo, Sligo: Friday: October 12th, 9.30am-12.30pm: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/launch-of-t ... 6?ref=estw

Cork University Hospital, Cork: Friday, October 19th: 9.30am-12.30pm: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/launch-of-t ... 3?ref=estw

St Laurence’s, DIT Grangegorman, Dublin: Tuesday, October 23rd, 9.30am-12.30pm: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/launch-of-t ... 6?ref=estw

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