Barry Cowen
Question:246. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if planning guidelines account for future coastal erosion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39242/18]
View answerThursday, 27 September 2018
Questions (246, 247)
Barry Cowen
Question:247. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if planning guidelines account for the likely impacts of climate change on coastline and weather patterns here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39243/18]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 246 and 247 together.
The 2009 Planning System and Flood Risk Management Guidelines clearly set out planning policy with respect to flood risk assessment and the planning system. These guidelines are applicable to assessing the implications of coastal flooding which may arise from climate change or major weather events. Clear technical guidance is given as to how to assess the implications of flooding (including coastal) in the context of spatial plan-making and the assessment of development proposals. It is considered that current planning policy is robust and sufficient to effectively assess, mitigate and manage the implications of climate change on our coastline and its effects on coastal communities.
In addition, Ireland is currently developing a National Marine Planning Framework (NMPF) to stand as a marine parallel to the National Planning Framework . The NMPF will enable the Government to set a clear direction for managing our seas, to clarify objectives and priorities, and to direct decision makers, users and stakeholders towards more strategic and efficient use of marine resources. It will inform decisions about the current and future development of the marine area, aiming to integrate needs. The NMPF will bring climate change into decision-making around marine planning, through considering climate change from two perspectives; how actions under the marine plan may help to mitigate climate change and how actions under the plan need to be adapted to take account of the effects of climate change.
The Government published its NMPF Baseline Report on 18 September 2018 for a three-month consultation period. I expect to be in a position to publish the first draft plan in mid-2019 with the final statutory NMPF due for adoption by 2021.