The Foreshore Act 1933 was drawn up before major construction in the coastal zone was envisaged. The continued absence (2020) of modern “fit for purpose” legislation and regulation means that Ireland’s coastal environment is remains inadequately protected.

Like any industrial development, offshore windfarms have the potential to have individual and cumulative negative impacts on the environment.

OSPAR

The Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic or OSPAR Convention is the current legislative instrument regulating international cooperation on environmental protection in the North-East Atlantic.

OSPAR highlight issues with particular relevance for offshore wind, including:

• Disturbance of the seabed
• Sediment re-suspension
• Noise & vibrations
• Electromagnetic fields
• Temperature increase
• Physical presence
• Disturbance to marine fauna
• Introduction of hard substrate habitats
• Hydrography & Geomorphology
• Visual & socio-economic impact

"The use of offshore wind energy is a relatively new human activity in the marine environment. Therefore, there are significant knowledge gaps regarding both potential impacts and the scale and cumulative nature of such impacts on the marine environment and wildlife resulting from the establishment of offshore wind farms" (OSPAR).

Key issues raised in these OSPAR documents are of particular relevance to Ireland given:

• The very extensive gaps in knowledge of the Irish marine environment and key species of birds, fish and marine mammals.
• The lack of a Strategic Environmental Assessment to assess cumulative impacts before extensive projects were advanced through an outdated permitting process.
• Selection of sites was entirely developer-led
• Sites chosen are largely on shallow sandbanks etc. protected under the EU Habitats Directive, Annexe 1.