Published: 2022
Pages: 19
Filesize: 412 KB
Format: pdf
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Summary: This document forms part of submissions we make on Local Authority land-use plans undergoing strategic environmental assessments (SEA). It includes: key environmental recommendations to consider; information on recently published relevant EPA reports; and links to useful environmental resources for Local Authorities carrying out SEA of land-use plans. It is updated regularly and was last updated on the 6th October 2022. |
SEA of Local Authority Land Use Plans - EPA Recommendations and Resources
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Published: 2022
Pages: 78
Filesize: 5,055 KB
Format: pdf |
Summary: This guidance note aims to provide good practice guidance and ideas on how to carry out strategic environmental assessment (SEA) of water sector plans in Ireland. |
Good Practice Guidance Note on SEA in Water Sector
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Published: 2022
Pages: 90
Filesize: 2,151 KB
Format: pdf |
Summary: Guidelines on the information to be contained in Environmental Impact Assessment Reports (EIAR) are available for download below. The Guidelines are primarily intended to be an authoritative reference to those preparing Environmental Impact Assessment Reports (EIARs) for projects covered by the EIA Directive.
Section 72 of the EPA Act 1992 as amended, provides for the preparation by the Agency of guidelines on the information to be contained in Environmental Impact Assessment Reports. Originally published in 2002, and subsequently revised and in draft since August 2017, these Guidelines are now formally adopted and published replacing all previous versions and take account of the transposition of the amending EIA Directive (2014/52/EU). They also include lessons learned and experience gained from EU and Irish case law.
The preparation of these Guidelines has involved extensive consultation commencing in 2014. A Technical Working Group with membership drawn from a broad range of external stakeholders was established to monitor, progress and guide the different phases of the work on these Guidelines. A public consultation process took place between September and October 2015.
The Guidelines are a statutory document that should be regarded by those preparing EIARs and the decision makers considering the EIARs as part of the EIA process.
The existing Advice Notes on Current Practice (in the preparation of Environmental Impact Statements) dated 2003 will be updated to follow the Guidelines |
Guidelines on the information to be contained in Environmental Impact Assessment Reports (EIAR)
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Published: 2022
ISBN: 978-1-80009-044-6
Pages: 54
Filesize: 19,247 KB
Format: pdf |
Summary: Ireland's Environment: Maps and Charts is a supplement to the EPA’s most recent State of the Environment report, Ireland's Environment: An Integrated Assessment 2020. It has been developed to visually present up-to-date data and assessment. |
Ireland's Environment: Maps and Charts
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Published: 2022
Pages: 84
Filesize: 1,101 KB
Format: pdf |
Summary: We have compiled this 'pack' to help planning authorities when carrying out strategic environmental assessments (SEAs). It is based on our experience to date, as a statutory SEA Environmental Authority under the SEA Regulations. It takes account of current 'best' practice in the SEA process. We update this pack regularly and we also refer to it during SEA Scoping consultations. It has been last updated on the 28th January 2022. |
SEA Pack
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Published: 2022
Pages: 1
Filesize: 599 KB
Format: excel |
Summary: acan be used to help in preparing SEA Environmental Reports and the associated environmental assessments with up to date environmental information. Data sources/links include air quality, climate, biodiversity, flora, fauna, geology, soils, hydrology and water quality. This inventory was last updated in November 2022 and may not be exhaustive. (See Disclaimer below for terms of use).
This inventory of spatial information sources can be used to inform the preparation of SEA Environmental Reports and the associated environmental assessments. Data sources include the following environmental topics - Air Quality, Climate, Biodiversity, Flora, Fauna, Geology, Soils, Hydrology, Water Quality, Flooding, Socio-Economic, Material Assets, Planning Data, other Sectoral Datasets. This inventory was initially compiled in March 2014 and updated most recently in November 2022. The inventory will be updated at regular intervals, subject to resources. It is a matter for the user to ensure the most recent relevant environmental data has been consulted in undertaking SEA.
Disclaimer: Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the material contained in this spatial dataset, complete accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Additionally this list of data sources refers to datasets compiled / updated in November 2022 and may not be exhaustive. Please consult with data providers to verify any data updates or identify newly generated data. Neither the Environmental Protection Agency nor the authors accept any responsibility whatsoever for loss or damage occasioned or claimed to have been occasioned, in part or in full, as a consequence of any person acting, or refraining from acting, as a result of a matter contained in this dataset. |
SEA Spatial Information Sources Inventory
EPA Spatial Data Inventory
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Published: 2021
Pages: 60
Filesize: 1,736 KB
Format: pdf |
Summary: Good Practice Guidance for Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Screening, which provides specific stand-alone guidance to assist plan/programme makers and SEA practitioners. The Guidance Note is focused primarily on plans/programmes in the non-land use sector in Ireland. It includes an elaboration of the steps needed for screening, the legislative landscape underpinning SEA screening, and step-by-step process and templates to assist in preparing the required documentation. |
SEA Screening Good Practice 2021
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Published: 2021
Pages: 1
Filesize: 20 KB
Format: word |
Summary: Cover sheet template for inclusion with submissions on the Call for Expert Evidence - Land Use. This call will close on 24 January 2022. |
Call for Expert Evidence – Land Use - Submission Template
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Published: 2021
Pages: 36
Filesize: 3,672 KB
Format: pdf |
Summary: Ireland’s Environment: An Integrated Assessment 2020 outlines the state of Ireland’s environment at a strategic and national level. This summary booklet presents the following information from the report: key messages; chapter highlights; current assessment and outlook; actions for a cleaner greener environment. |
Ireland's Environment: An Integrated Assessment 2020- Key Messages Booklet
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Published: 2021
Pages: 1
Filesize: 82 KB
Format: pdf |
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SEA Process Flow
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Published: 2021
Pages: 82
Filesize: 4,871 KB
Format: pdf |
Summary: This note provides good practice guidance on how to carry out strategic environmental assessment (SEA) of energy strategies/plans. It does not constitute statutory guidance and is intended to promote a good practice approach to the application of SEA in the energy sector. |
Good practice note on SEA for the Energy Sector
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Published: 2021
Pages: 14
Filesize: 1,666 KB
Format: pdf |
Summary: Through the National SEA Forum the SEA statutory environmental authorities in Ireland have jointly developed an SEA Action Plan to implement the key priority recommendations of the second SEA Effectiveness Review. The implementation of this Action Plan will be dependent on a shared responsibility in delivering the key priority recommendations. |
SEA Action Plan 2021 - 2025
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Published: 2021
Pages: 14
Filesize: 1,687 KB
Format: pdf |
Summary: The EPA, in association with the other SEA environmental authorities, carried out a review of the progress made to date in the delivery of the various actions and recommendations in the 'SEA Effectiveness Review in Ireland Action Plan 2018–2020'. This Progress Update summarises the findings of this review. |
SEA Action Plan 2018-2020 - Progress Update 2021
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Published: 2020
Pages: 16
Filesize: 1,931 KB
Format: pdf |
Summary: This document provides a summary of the second SEA Effectiveness Review training event, held in Portlaoise on the 3rd March 2020. It captures some of the knowledge of the participants and some of the learning outcomes from the event, to assist further shared learning. |
Second SEA Effectiveness Review Training Event Summary
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Published: 2020
ISBN: 978-1-84095-881-2
Pages: 36
Filesize: 3,131 KB
Format: pdf |
Summary: Cumulative effects result from a combination of individual effects on a receptor. They can occur as a result of plans, programmes, projects and other actions in the past, present and the reasonably foreseeable future. They can result from impacts that may be individually insignificant, but collectively significant. Cumulative effects assessment (CEA) is the process of identifying, assessing and mitigating cumulative effects. |
Good practice guidance on Cumulative Effects Assessment in SEA
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Published: 2020
ISBN: 978-1-84095-883-6
Pages: 32
Filesize: 2,081 KB
Format: pdf |
Summary: This report provides stand-alone guidance on SEA Statements and monitoring. It is included as part of the EPA-funded project Second Review of SEA Effectiveness in Ireland (González et al., 2020). It is specific to the Irish context but has wider international applicability. The monitoring recommendations include guidance on indicators to facilitate a more consistent and coherent approach at this SEA stage. |
Guidance on SEA Statements and Monitoring
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Published: 2020
ISBN: ISBN: 978-1-84095-883-6
Pages: 86
Filesize: 4,978 KB
Format: pdf |
Summary: The key findings and recommendations from the second review of SEA effectiveness in Ireland are presented in this report. Recommendations are included to address issues relating to guidance, training & awareness, data collection, provision & sharing and governance and legislation.
This report presents the findings of the second review of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) effectiveness in Ireland. It examines SEA performance on the basis of seven effectiveness dimensions identified in the international literature: context, procedural, pluralist, normative, substantive,knowledge and learning, and transactive.
The findings of the review indicate that, broadly speaking, recent practice in Ireland seems to be more procedurally effective than reported for the case studies in the first SEA effectiveness study of 2012. Overall, SEA seems to be fulfilling its role. More governmental bodies and sectors have engaged in the SEA process and there is, generally, a greater openness to the process. This may be, in part, driven by increasing legal challenges on project consent and refusals through the Irish and European Union courts, placing more of a focus on the earlier stages of decision-making than ever before.
However, although considerable progress has been demonstrated in applying SEA in Ireland, and the SEA process is now well “bedded in”, challenges remain. The key procedural challenges identified in this review are similar to those experienced in the earlier review (EPA, 2012), notably the consideration of alternatives and monitoring.
In Ireland, monitoring remains the most significant gap in the procedure, and it is clear from the review that plan-makers and SEA practitioners are in need of clear guidance on how to develop and implement effective monitoring. SEA statement and monitoring guidance has been developed as part of this review (see Appendix 1). However, guidance, although valuable, will not be enough to address current monitoring limitations in Ireland. Plan-makers must commit to implementing monitoring programmes if future plan/programme cycles are to benefit from properly understanding environmental pressures.
Opportunities exist for better public engagement in both plan-making and the SEA process, as the statutory minimum level of consultation has not been found to be effective at engaging the public. Nevertheless, SEA is leading to changes in plans/ programmes through both direct and indirect pathways. One of the key pathways that has proved difficult to record is education and awareness raising. This intangible influence can be highly effective at refocusing planning teams to consider environmental matters. Although the Environmental Reports generally fail to capture how the policy context shapes a plan or programme, the case studies are illustrative of the generally positive and proactive approach to environmental integration in Ireland, which often results in good procedural performance and good substantive outcomes.
Based on the above findings, and additional considerations identified throughout the review, a number of strategic recommendations are put forward at the end of this report to further enhance SEA performance in Ireland over time.
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Second Review of SEA Effectiveness in Ireland
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Published: 2019
ISBN: 978-1-84095-859-1
Pages: 84
Filesize: 2,059 KB
Format: pdf |
Summary: This document is a good practice note on how to practically incorporate climatic factors into plans and programmes, which come under the scope of the SEA Directive. It provides updated climate-related information and supersedes an earlier version published in 2015. It also acknowledges recent plan and programme-related developments that have occurred since then.
This document is a good practice guidance note on how to practically incorporate climatic factors into plans and programmes, falling under the remit of the SEA Directive. It is aimed at plan-making authorities and SEA practitioners who, in implementing the requirements of the SEA Directive, need to consider that plans and programmes may be directly or indirectly affected by climate change, or may affect climate change directly or indirectly. It provides updated climate-related information and supersedes an earlier version published in 2015. It also acknowledges recent plan and programme-related developments that have occurred since then.
This document should also be useful to anyone involved in preparing or reviewing SEAs. It presents information on the causes and consequences of climate change; how they can be described, evaluated and incorporated into the SEA; and where appropriate information can be found. |
Integrating Climatic Factors into Strategic Environmental Assessment in Ireland - A Guidance Note
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Published: 2019
Pages: 10
Filesize: 464 KB
Format: pdf |
Summary: The ESM Webtool is designed to facilitate multiple data interaction. Its purpose is to enable geographical exploration of environmental considerations onshore, and to combine relevant environmental datasets to produce environmental sensitivity maps in support of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). |
Environmental Sensitivity Mapping (ESM) - User Manual
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Published: 2019
Pages: 1
Filesize: 381 KB
Format: pdf |
Summary: The second review of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) effectiveness in Ireland, funded by the EPA, started on the 31st of March 2018. The project goal is to update the progress made in implementing SEA in Ireland and to guide future actions. This fourth and final Newsletter outlines some of the key research findings and outputs from the project. |
Second Review of SEA Effectiveness in Ireland - Newsletter 4. June 2018
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Published: 2019
ISBN: ISBN 978-1-84095-830-0
Pages: 48
Filesize: 4,814 KB
Format: pdf |
Summary: This note provides guidance on how to carry out Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of waste management plans, including Regional Waste Management Plans. It does not constitute statutory guidance and is intended to promote a good practice approach to the application of SEA in the waste sector. |
Good practice note on SEA for the Waste Sector
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Published: 2019
ISBN: ISBN 978-1-84095-836-2
Pages: 57
Filesize: 9,725 KB
Format: pdf |
Summary: This note provides good practice guidance on how to carry out strategic environmental assessment (SEA) of forestry strategies/plans. It does not constitute statutory guidance and is intended to promote a good practice approach to the application of SEA in the forestry sector. |
Good practice note on SEA for the Forestry Sector
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