| The European Maritime Spatial Planning Platform

This map was compiled from different international sources such as EMODnet, EEA or Marine Regions. Information obtained from these sources was cross-checked with data from national sources. While compilation was carried out by the European MSP Platform, validation and quality assurance remain the responsibility of the primary data sources.

Basic facts on Marine Waters

The Irish maritime area extends over 490,000km2 (approx. 7 times its terrestrial landmass) and comprise parts of the Irish and Celtic Seas as well as the Atlantic Ocean where Ireland has defined its EEZ and certain areas of the Continental Shelf.
In 2006, Ireland submitted information on the limits of the continental shelf claimed by Ireland and three other coastal States in the area of the Celtic Sea and the Bay of Biscay. In 2010, an extension of the continental shelf was granted. Negotiations to share this area between the four coastal States are still in progress.

Relevant links

View best practices relevant for Ireland

Go to Atlantic Ocean page

Contact email:

atlantic [at] maritime-spatial-planning.ec.europa.eu

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Maritime Spatial Plan(s)

Status: Adopted

Ireland adopted its maritime spatial plan, the National Marine Planning Framework (NMPF) in June 2021. The NMPF is the overarching framework for decision-making that is consistent, evidence-based and secures a sustainable future for the marine area.

Ireland's Maritime Spatial Plan is available here

A web map portal was also launched to link planning within the Maritime area to the relevant policies for each marine sector or activity listed in the National Marine Planning Framework (NMPF). The site has four main sections: Activities Map, Activities, Policies Map and MSP Hub. This last section hosts the MSP newsletter which is published on a quarterly basis.

Access the web map portal

Access the MSP Newsletter

Latest MSP developments

Ireland is in the process of implementing its maritime spatial plan, including the designation of Marine Protected Areas, and the development of Offshore Wind Farms. On 13 May 2024 the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications published the draft South Coast Designated Maritime Area Plan (DMAP), Ireland’s first ever spatial plan for renewable energy at sea. Public consultation on the document takes place between 3 May and 14 June 2024.

See more information on the South Coast DMAP here

Next steps

The National Industrial Strategy for Offshore Wind is expected to be published in in the first half of 2024.

For more information please click here

MSP Legislation

The EU MSP Directive is transposed into national legislation by way of regulations made in 2016 (SI 352 of 2016). Since the regulations were made under the European Communities Act 1972, they were strictly limited to measures required to transpose the Directive. In October 2018, the regulations were repealed and replaced by Part 5 of the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2018.