On 12 November 2019, the Government published the draft National
Marine Planning Framework ("NMPF") for public
consultation. The consultation closes at 12 noon on 28
February 2020. Click here to view the draft National Marine
Planning Framework.
The NMPF is the marine spatial plan and is expected to be
adopted in late 2020. It will cover Ireland’s maritime area,
including internal waters (sea area), territorial seas, exclusive
economic zone and continental shelf.
The NMPF will be a key tool for decision-making on marine
activities, including decisions on individual consent
applications. The NMPF will not replace or remove existing
regulatory regimes or legislative requirements governing the
operation of various marine sectoral activities. It will
instead provide an overarching framework for their continued
operation.
