Ireland's State of the Environment Report 2024

440 Chapter 16: Environmental Policy Implementation and Performance Key sectoral policies in Ireland An enduring challenge is ensuring that sectoral policies and decision-making take account of, and are aligned with, Ireland’s various environmental commitments, as discussed above. Some of Ireland’s current key sectoral plans are listed in Figure 16.2 and include the National Planning Framework, which sets the vision and strategy for the development of Ireland to 2040, along with the National Development Plan 2021-2030, which provides the enabling investment to implement the National Planning Framework. Ensuring that the socio-economic ambitions in Ireland’s various sectoral plans in areas such as agriculture, transport and forestry support rather than conflict with Ireland’s environmental commitments can be challenging. The OECD identifies a number of challenges in the consideration of environmental and climate aspects in Ireland’s long-term strategic planning and public investment decision-making, which increase the risk that a lack of coherence and consistency across sectoral policies will emerge (OECD, 2023a). The OECD also identifies a number of opportunities for strengthening the consideration of environmental issues in Ireland’s long-term planning, which are touched on later in this chapter. Figure 16.2  Overview of some key national sectoral policies, plans and programmes NATIONAL • National Hazardous Waste Management Plan 2021-2027 (EPA) • Whole of Government Circular Economy Strategy 2022-2023 -Living More, Using Less (DECC) • A Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy 2020-2025 (DECC) • National Waste Management Plan for a Circular Economy 2024-2030 (DECC) NATIONAL • National Forestry Programme 2023- 2027 Forests & Water (DAFM) • Forest Strategy to 2030 (DAFM) • Forest Strategy 2023-2027 Implementation Plan (DAFM) • Annual Forestry Licensing Plans (DAFM) • Coillte Forest Estate Land Use Plan 2023-2050 (Coillte) Draft/in prep: • Forestry and Freshwater Pearl Mussel Plan (DAFM) LOCAL • Individual forestry plans • Forestry Management plans NATIONAL • National Planning Framework / Project Ireland 2040 (DHLGH) • Sustainable and Compact Settlements Guidelines for Planning Authorities – January 2024 (DHLGH) • Ireland’s National Waste Policy (DECC) Draft/in prep: • Project Ireland 2040 - Revision to the National Planning Framework – July 2024 (DHLGH) REGIONAL • Regional spatial & economic strategies (regional assemblies) COUNTY • County / City development plans LOCAL • LA area and development plans and SDZ planning schemes • Local Authority climate action plan • LA biodiversity action plans NATIONAL • Harnessing Our Ocean Wealth – An Integrated Marine Plan for Ireland (2012) DAFM • Operational Programme (2014-2020) (DAFM) • National Marine Planning Framework (DECC) • National Plan for Sustainable Aquaculture 2021-2030 (DAFM) • Seafood Development Programme 2021- 2027 (DAFM) NATIONAL • Rural Development Programme Action Plan for Rural development (DRCD) • Sustainable Rural Housing Development Guidelines (DHLGH) • Our rural future: Rural Development Policy 2021-2025 (DCRD) NATIONAL • Food Vision 2030 Strategy - A world leader in sustainable food systems (DAFM) • Good Agricultural Practice Regs (DHLGH) • Code of Good Agricultural Practice for Reducing Ammonia Emissions from Agriculture (DAFM) • CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027 (DAFM) • Ag-Climatise – a roadmap towards climate neutrality (2020) (DAFM) • National Policy Statement on the bioeconomy (DoTaoiseach) • Bioeconomy Action Plan 2023-2025 (DAFM) • National Strategy for Horticulture 2023- 2027 (DAFM) • Fifth Nitrates Action Programme 2022- 2025 (DAFM and DHLGH) Circular Economy Agriculture Built Environment Forestry Rural Development Fisheries