Government progresses renewable energy agenda with publication of National Designated Maritime Area Plan Proposal

The Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment, Darragh O’Brien TD, and the Minister of State at the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment with responsibility for Fisheries and the Marine, Timmy Dooley, TD, today announced the publication of the National Designated Maritime Area Plan (DMAP) for Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Proposal and accompanying Public Participation Statement (PPS).
 
The National DMAP for Offshore Renewable Energy will be a strategic plan that outlines the development and management of offshore renewable energy resources off Ireland’s coast. It will provide a clear and sustainable framework for developing offshore renewable energy, balancing economic growth, environmental protection, and community engagement to support Ireland’s transition to a low-carbon future.
 
Ultimately, the National DMAP for ORE will designate renewable energy sites around Ireland’s coast that are suitable for offshore wind development, including fixed, floating, and floating demonstration locations. The plan is part of a Programme for Government commitment to accelerate offshore wind development, and will assist in realising the Government’s objective of securing 20GW (gigawatts) of offshore wind by 2040. It builds on the South Coast DMAP for ORE, approved by the Oireachtas in October 2024. The first of four sites within the South Coast DMAP — ‘Tonn Nua’ — will go to auction in November to procure 900MW of capacity.
 
The proposed National DMAP and Public Participation Statement accelerate Ireland’s offshore renewable energy ambition via a plan-led framework guiding Ireland’s offshore renewable energy development.  The documents set out information on the scope of the overall plan, timeframes and the required steps in the development of the DMAP over the next two years, as well as the Government’s commitment to extensive and inclusive consultation with the public and stakeholders throughout the entire process.
 
Commenting on the publication, Minister O’Brien said:
 
“The National Designated Maritime Area Plan for Offshore Renewable Energy supports our decarbonisation efforts and our offshore renewables ambition of 20GW by 2040. Having a single National DMAP for ORE in place to follow on from the Phase One projects and the South Coast DMAP for ORE published last year will provide greater certainty for our marine stakeholders and the renewables industry.
 
“This Proposal, along with the Public Participation Statement, sets out what we will do, and how we will ensure your voice is heard. The PPS will provide information for environmental and fisheries sectors as to how they, and indeed all stakeholders, can take part in the process. We therefore strongly encourage all interested parties to engage in the future public participation and consultation opportunities over the development of this plan.”
 
Minister Dooley said:
 
“For Ireland, human-generated climate change presents a significant and expensive challenge to which our communities must adapt. In addition, the continuing unpredictability of geopolitical events has made our dependency on fossil fuels unreliable and unaffordable. These combined pressures reinforce the need for Ireland to accelerate its transition to indigenous and transformative renewable energy sources.
 
“To further address this challenge, Government has committed to the preparation of a National Designated Maritime Area Plan for Offshore Renewable Energy. The DMAP process will ensure that developments in Ireland’s maritime area take place in a managed and sustainable way.”
 
Extensive public and stakeholder consultation on the National DMAP Proposal will take place over the course of 2026 and 2027. It is anticipated that the National DMAP will be completed in 2027 and laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas for approval.
 
The National Designated Maritime Area Plan for Offshore Renewable Energy Proposal can be found here (https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/dbbc1ac7/National_DMAP_for_ORE_Proposal_.pdf), while the Public Participation Statement for the National Designated Maritime Area Plan for Offshore Renewable Energy is available here (https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/c72c040c/National_DMAP_for_ORE-PPS__v3.pdf).