A 12-week public consultation on two draft Guidance documents have been launched to help support the development of offshore renewable energy in Ireland.

The draft documents aim to provide Guidance on the preparation of Environment Impact Statements (EIS) and Natura Impact Statements (NIS) for offshore renewable energy projects and Guidance on Marine Baseline Assessments and Monitoring Activities to evaluate potential environmental impacts of renewable energy projects in the marine area.

-- Advertisement --

The documents build on a workshop held with key stakeholders in 2015. The consultation now provides the opportunity for further participation by stakeholders and the public and it is hoped that it will help ensure that the Guidance documents are as comprehensive and relevant as possible to developers and practitioners in the offshore renewable energy field.

The purpose of the draft Guidance document on the preparation of EIS and NIS is to assist developers in preparing the relevant statements that may be required for development projects and also to provide competent authorities, consultation bodies and the public with a basis for determining the adequacy of these statements.

(CD/LM)