By Shay Fennelly

According to a report published in 2004 – Review of Integrated Coastal Zone Management & Principles of Best Practice (CMRC) and the subject of this paper’s first lead story in January 2005 – there has been ‘no advances in policy or legislative developments for ICZM since the publication of the draft policy for Ireland in 1997.’

And the ongoing cost and controversy surrounding the Corrib gas project is testament to the lack of an adequate framework to resolve coastal planning issues in Ireland.

The government abandoned a model approach for facilitating dialogue in relation to Integrated Coastal Zone Management, which if implemented in 2003 with the Corrib gas project, could have reduced or even avoided the €13 million and rising Garda policing bill now facing the taxpayer.

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