Ireland is stepping up efforts on gov.ie to safeguard its marine environment, with fresh momentum behind plans to protect 30% of the country’s maritime area by 2030. The latest update from the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment shows how new legislation, EU-backed funding, and the completion of a major seabed mapping programme are all converging to support one of the State’s most important environmental goals.
Speaking ahead of the Fair Seas World Ocean Week Conference, Minister of State Timmy Dooley confirmed that the government remains committed to expanding Marine Protected Areas, or MPAs, across Irish waters. The initiative aligns with international biodiversity obligations and wider policy priorities across Climate Action, Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and Public Expenditure, while relying on scientific input from state-backed marine bodies.
How gov.ie marine protection plans are progressing
The central target is clear: Ireland wants 30% of its maritime area protected by 2030. At present, about 10% of Irish seas already benefit from some form of protection. The next phase involves formally designating additional MPAs through a stronger legal and planning framework.
According to the update on gov.ie, legislative work is underway through amendments linked to the Maritime Area Planning system. This is expected to create a more robust process for identifying, managing, and protecting ecologically sensitive marine zones.
The protection strategy is also being supported by major funding:
- A 9-year EU LIFE project worth more than €25 million
- 60% of the programme funded through EU grant aid
- Collaboration with University College Dublin, University of Galway, and University College Cork
This work matters not only for biodiversity, but also for long-term planning in Transport, Agriculture, tourism, fisheries, and coastal resilience.
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INFOMAR will complete the real map of Ireland
A major part of the announcement on gov.ie is the government’s approval to complete the INFOMAR programme, Ireland’s national seabed mapping project. Delivered jointly by Geological Survey Ireland and the Marine Institute, INFOMAR aims to map all of Ireland’s offshore territory, an area of nearly 1 million square kilometres.
The final phase, running from 2027 to 2029, will focus on the most technically difficult shallow-water areas, covering the remaining 125,000 square kilometres. Survey work is expected between March and October during the active field seasons, followed by a final year of data processing.
This is significant because Ireland is on course to become the first country with a major maritime area to fully map its offshore territory. In practical terms, the gov.ie-backed project will deliver:
- High-resolution seabed data for marine planning
- Better identification of sensitive habitats such as cold-water coral reefs
- Improved storm surge and flood forecasting models
- Stronger evidence for coastal erosion and sea-level rise analysis
- Support for sustainable development across marine sectors
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Why this matters for policy, science, and state agencies
The announcement reflects how environmental protection increasingly depends on coordination across government and public bodies. While the marine initiative is led through gov.ie by the climate department, the wider ecosystem of public administration includes agencies and institutions such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Marine Institute, Office of Public Works (OPW), CSO, and Department of the Taoiseach.
Reliable mapping and conservation data can also inform policy discussions touching on Finance, Health, Social Protection, Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Education, and Rural and Community Development. For coastal communities especially, marine protection is no longer a niche issue; it is tied to jobs, infrastructure, resilience, and national planning.
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What happens next
The next few years will be crucial. Ireland must expand legal protections, complete detailed offshore mapping, and translate scientific evidence into enforceable conservation measures. If the current roadmap holds, the gov.ie programme could place Ireland among global leaders in marine spatial planning and ocean protection.
The key takeaway is simple: gov.ie is not just outlining an environmental promise, but a data-driven national strategy. With legislation, EU investment, and the INFOMAR project moving forward, Ireland’s goal of protecting 30% of its maritime area by 2030 now looks more structured, measurable, and achievable.
