Area:  Total: 70,280 sq km  Land: 68,890 sq km Coastline: 1,448 km  Population: 3,632,944 (July 1999 est.) Source: CIA Worldfact Book (1999)

Ireland   Basic Data Contacts CSD Data Other Links   Country Contacts Department of Environment Irish Environmental Protection Agency   (Source:  CIA World Factbook 1999)     OCEANS AND COASTAL AREAS Many thanks to the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, the source of the following information. The information was taken from Ireland's submission to the 5th and 7th Sessions of the Commission on Sustainable Development (last update: December 1998). For further information on Ireland's social and economic factors, natural resources, and institutional structures see the United Nations System-Wide Web Site on National Implementation of the Rio Commitments National Information at:   http://www.un.org/esa/agenda21/natlinfo/countr/ireland/index.htm   In Ireland, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea was signed in 1982 and ratified in 1996. In January 1995, Ireland ratified the MARPOL International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships. Ireland participates in the OSPAR Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-east Atlantic.  Decision-Making  The Department of Arts, Heritage, Gealtacht and the Islands is responsible for the conservation of species and habitats. The Department of the Environment and Local Government is responsible for dealing with pollution from land-based sources and also for Coastal Zone Management (CZM). The Department of the Marine and Natural Resources is responsible for marine matters generally, including marine environment protection.  The Green Network of Government Departments is a high level group of officials intended to promote the integration of environmental policies into Government policies and programmes generally, and to improve coordination across Government Depatments in relation to environmental matters. The establishment of separate coordinating structures on CZM are under consideration. A number of state agencies have responsibilities in relation to oceans and seas issues, including the Marine Institute and the Environmental Protection Agency.  Environmental legislation in Ireland almost invariably provides for extensive participation by any interested person in relation to the development of plans, decisions on specific applications, access to courts, etc. A new body (COMBAR -- the National Sustainable Development Forum) was established in 1999 to provide a national consultative mechanism and structured dialogue on issues surrounding the pursuit of sustainable development.  The document, Sustainable Development: A Strategy for Ireland (1997) identifies marine resources as a strategic section and contains a separate chapter on the sustainable use of marine resources. A draft policy document on CZM was published for further consultation and discussion. National policy is being developed.  Marine policy is generally addressed in, Making the Most of Ireland's Marine and Natural Resources, (1998). RTDI issues are addressed in, A Marine Research, Technology, Development and Innovation Strategy for Ireland (1998).  The following major programmes are in effect:    Water Services Investment Programme to provide upgraded treatment facilities for effluents discharged to estuarine and coastal areas;  Provision of port reception facilities for ships' waste;  Monitoring programme in relation to bathing water quality;  Blue Flag Scheme in relation to beaches;  Local authority programmes to combat coastal erosion.  Legislation, regulations and policy instruments  The Local Government (Planning and Development) Acts provide for the planning and control of physical development in all areas, including coastal areas. In addition, the following legislation applies to the area of oceans and seas:    Dumping at Sea Act, 1996  Foreshore Acts  Environmental Protection Agency Act  Fisheries Acts  Local Government (Water Pollution) Acts  Marine Institute Act, 1991  Oil Pollution of the Sea Acts  Sea Pollution Act, 1991  Waste Management Act, 1996  The Fisheries Act  Other policy instruments include the following:    Code of Practice in relation to Agricultural Activities  Guidelines for the Environmental Regulation of Offshore Oil and Gas Activities (under preparation)  Voluntary agreement with industry on the reduction of phosphates in detergents (under preparation)  Status  Fifty-two percent of the population, or 1.8 million people, live within ten km of the coast. The five largest urban conurbations are located along the coastline. There are 130 fishing ports (and more than 900 landing places) and 10 major shipping ports. Coastal areas are also used for tourism and recreation.  Consistent with the EU Common Fisheries Policy, Ireland's National Fisheries Policy designates special protection status for specified areas, species and habitats.  Major projects and activities underway or planned or address oceans issues include the following:    The provision and upgrading of facilities for the treatment of wastewater discharges to estuarine and coastal wastes;  The development of national policy on Coastal Zone Management (draft policy published for consultation in 1997);  Monitoring of quality of bathing waters.  The Marine Institute has recently completed an environmental assessment of Ireland's marine and coastal areas and adjacent seas. The report has been prepared as part of Ireland's contribution to the production by the OSPAR Commission on an environmental Quality Status Report (QSR) of the North-East Atlantic in the year 2000. The Irish report is the most comprehensive assessment of Ireland's marine environment prepared to date. The report provides:    a comprehensive compilation of existing knowledge of the area, e.g., physica, chemistry, biology, human activities;  an assessment of this information in relation to agreed criteria of environmental quality; and  a statement of the prevailing condition of the area.  The Irish report is due to be published in the first half of 1999.  Capacity-building, education, training and awareness-raising  The publication of a draft national CZM policy document for comment in 1997 was followed by a public consultation seminar on CZM in 1998. The Marine Institute and the Environmental Protection Agency produce a range of publications related to oceans and seas issues generally.  Training courses for public authorities and private sector agencies are provided by the Marine Institute, the Institute of Public Administration and other bodies, e.g., the Institute of Engineers of Ireland, universitiess and other third-level institutions. CZM demonstrations are organisedunder an EU funded programme.  In an effort to raise awareness of issues related to oceans and seas, the Marine Institute regularly organises conferences on marine matters, including, in 1998, the Year of the Ocean Conference. The Environmental Information Service, ENFO, provides a range of services to facilitate public access to information on the environment (e.g., information leaflets) and present exhibitions on environmental topics (including an exhibition on the Oceans and Seas in 1998). [Note: ENFO is a service of the Department of the Environment and Local Government.]  Constraints  Constraints include the need to establish the relative priorities of competing alternative uses, e.g., tourism, conservation of habitats and species, the difficulties of dealing with pollution from sources outside national jurisdiction and availability of resources.  Technology  The Marine Institute recently launched, A Marine Research, Technology, Development and Innovation Strategy for Ireland. This Strategy includes a section devoted to the marine environment and identifies the following aspects of special relevance to a marine environment RTDI strategy:    Sustainable Development  Prevention of harm  Role of science and technology  International cooperation  Information  Ireland's "Marine and Coastal Areas and Adjacent Seas: an Environmental Assessment" (forthcoming) will inform both decision-makers and planners working in coastal areas, related to the following areas and dealing with issues such as the sustainable management of fishery resources, marine pollution, mineral resources, living resources (other than fish) and critical uncertainties.  Monitoring of the implementation of relevant laws and regulations is carried out by the Government Departments concerned, local authorities, the Marine Institute and the Environmental Protection Agency.  Financing  In general, activitiy in this sector is funded by the Exchequer. The Waste Water Services Capital Investment Programme is financed from the Exchequer with significant support from EU Structural Funds.  Cooperation  Ireland recognises that action at the international level is an essential element of any strategy for sustainable development and the protection of the marine environment and, to that end, participates fully in the activities of relevant United Nations organisations, including UNCLOS, CSD and IMO. At a regional level, membership in the European Union and the OSPAR Commission are significant influences. There is also close bilateral cooperation with the UK in relation to the Irish Sea.    Other Links Irish Marine Institute Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR)