News
Minister Noonan announces next step in the development of Ireland’s Nature Restoration Plan
Date Released: Tuesday, October 22, 2024
- Independent Advisory Committee to be established to make recommendations to Minister, with cross-sectoral representation
- Broad, participative stakeholder process to ensure all voices are heard, at all levels
- Ireland’s Nature Restoration Plan to be submitted to the EU Commission by September 2026
The Minister for Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan TD, has today announced the establishment of an independent Advisory Committee on Nature Restoration to support the development of Ireland’s Nature Restoration Plan (NRP). The Plan is to be developed under the Nature Restoration Law and is due to be submitted to the EU Commission by 1st September 2026.
The Advisory Committee will include a Chairperson and representatives from key sectors, who will be tasked with providing advice and recommendations to the Minister on the content of Ireland’s Nature Restoration Plan. The Advisory Committee will also be engage with the stakeholder participation process, and ensuring that the views of the public, key groups and sectors are addressed in the Plan. In addition, it will be responsible for considering the outputs from technical, inter-departmental working groups across themes of Land, Sea, Towns and Cities, and Finance. The Minister will retain overall responsibility for the Plan.
Minister Noonan said:
“From the very start of the Nature Restoration Law debate, I’ve said that Ireland’s Nature Restoration Plan should be created in a transparent, collaborative and inclusive manner, based on the best available evidence, and that it should have people and local communities at its heart. Today, I’m establishing an independent Advisory Committee to ensure that this is the case. The Committee will be the link between the stakeholder participation process and the technical working groups, ensuring that all the relevant issues, concerns and perspectives are integrated into the recommendations to the Minister. The membership of the Advisory Committee has not yet been finalised, but I am in discussions with colleagues including the Minister for Agriculture and the Minister for Housing on the matter and hope to be in a position to make an announcement in the coming weeks.”
The inter-departmental working groups will focus on three key thematic areas: Land, Sea and Towns and Cities. They will comprise sectoral and academic experts from agriculture, environment, planning and the marine sector, and will work on determining the appropriate baselines, datasets, indicators, restoration measures and monitoring processes. A separate Finance Working Group will consider the financial aspects of the plan to 2030 and beyond, including socio-economic impact evaluation, the maximisation of existing programmes, and new financial mechanisms.
The wide-ranging, multi-tiered stakeholder participation process, meanwhile, will comprise a Leaders’ Forum for cross-sectoral dialogue at CEO-level on the overall trajectory of the Plan, progress to date, and key risks and opportunities. Leaders will be invited to nominate technical subject matter experts, to engage at a more granular level. The Community Conversations programme will follow a locally-led participatory engagement model that aims to inform and hear the views of groups and individuals around the country. The intention is to provide opportunities at all levels for genuine exploration and dialogue and to create a country-wide conversation about what NRL means for all citizens.
Minister Noonan added:
“I cannot underestimate the importance of continued engagement on the Nature Restoration Plan and what it means for Ireland,” said Minister Noonan. “Dialogue really will be key to its success. To that end, I would like to encourage everyone who has an interest in nature, the land, the seas, and the built environment to look out for opportunities to be part of the process over the coming months. We need to come together, listen and collaborate to find a way forward on common ground.”