The EPA is one of the three national statutory Environmental Authorities under the SEA Regulations. Our role in SEA focuses on promoting full integration of the findings of the environmental assessment into the Plan or Programme. Under the SEA Regulations, the EPA is required to be consulted on all SEA Screening, Scoping, draft Plans/Programmes and Environmental Reports.
We will normally focus our efforts on the Screening and Scoping stages of SEA where we can have most impact on the formation of a Plan or Programme. We apply a proportionate risk-based approach to the submissions we receive, which means that more strategic higher level Plans/Programmes or Plans/Programmes with greater potential for environmental effects and greater opportunities for promoting sustainable development will receive priority attention. We will endeavour to provide a response to you in as many cases as possible. However, situations may arise where this will not be possible.
When you are making an SEA-related submission, please note the following requirements:
The submission should be from the Plan-making authority itself using its own headed paper for the cover letter. A cover letter from a consultant is not sufficient for us.
Screening notifications should include your SEA screening determination statement which must take into account the relevant criteria set out in Schedule 1 of S.I. No. 435 of 2004 or Schedule 2A of S.I. No. 436 of 2004, as amended by S.I. No. 200 or S.I. No. 201 of 2011, as appropriate.
You are reminded to submit your SEA statement (Information on Decision) when the process has ended and the Plan has been formally adopted.
Please note that it is not our function to either approve or enforce Plans or Programmes.
For each main stage of the SEA process, we will normally carry out the following:
You are reminded that it is the statutory responsibility of each Competent Authority to determine whether or not their Plan or Programme ( including proposed Variations,Amendments, Material Alterations and Modifications etc ) is likely to have significant effects on the environment.
We use a Screening Assessment Worksheet when assessing your Screening Statements. This worksheet allows us to assess your submission according to the criteria set out in Annex I of the SEA Directive but it also sets out other issues that are important to consider when you are carrying out an SEA screening determination.
Download a copy of our SEA Screening Assessment Worksheet. This may of help to you when preparing your Screening Statement.
Where a determination is made that SEA is not required for your Plan/Programme, consideration should still be given to integrating environmental considerations into the Plan/Programme, as is highlighted in the EPA's screening submission. Relevant specific Policies and/or Objectives should be included as appropriate.
When we are preparing our response to your screening notification, we use a template document which is modified to reflect the characteristics and likely effects of the specific Plan/Programme. This document sets out the broad range of issues that you should consider when making the SEA screening determination and/or when preparing your Plan/Programme.
Download a copy of our 'SEA Environmental Integration Document'.
Our initial submission at the scoping stage will be be to issue an SEA Pack and SEA Guidance documents to you. The SEA Pack is based on our experience to date as a statutory SEA Environmental Authority and on current best practice in the SEA process. The Pack is updated on a regular basis and should assist you in carrying out the environmental assessment in compliance with the SEA Directive and Regulations in accordance with best practice. The Pack is issued as part of our statutory SEA Scoping submission. It is however, a matter for the Competent Authority and its SEA Team to ensure that the contents of the Pack are taken into account and followed as appropriate during the SEA process. Please note that the SEA Pack is not a statutory document but is intended to provide information to guide the Plan/Programme-making and SEA processes.
We may follow up the SEA Pack with a more detailed submission as the Scoping stage progresses. This will depend on the significance of the Plan in question and the vulnerability of the Plan area.
Download a copy of our 'SEA Pack'.
The SEA Scoping Guidance Document provides a summary overview of relevant legislation, key EPA and other Competent Authorities Guidance and EPA Reports. The aim of the scoping guidance document is to assist in the integration of environmental considerations into Plans / Programmes / Strategies during all stages of the SEA process. This is updated on a regular basis.
Download a copy of this SEA Scoping Guidance Document.
The EPA's SEA Process Checklist is another useful document. The Checklist has been prepared to assist you in carrying out the environmental assessment in compliance with the SEA Directive and SEA Regulations. The Checklist should be used in conjunction with the guidance issued by the DEHLG and the EPA. The Checklist remains a draft working document and maybe updated to reflect changes to legislation and best practice.
Download a copy of the 'SEA Process Checklist'.
For your Screening or Scoping notices, a response will normally be issued to you within the specified time period unless otherwise agreed. We will apply the specified time period from the date of receipt at the designated EPA Regional Inspectorate (EPA Regional Inspectorate Inniscarra, Cork). Our response will be by way of letter, email or telephone at our discretion.
We will normally provide a submission on the Draft Plan/Programme and Environmental Report within the specified/agreed timescale.
Our submission is based initially on a template document, which will be modified to reflect the specific Plan/Programme. Our submission will address the range of issues that we consider should be addressed in the Environmental Report and/or the Plan/Programme. Our intention is that our submission will focus primarily on promoting full and transparent integration of environmental considerations in the Plan/Programme making process. Compliance with the requirements of the SEA Directive and the SEA Regulations will also be promoted as appropriate.
Where Transboundary Consultation is being sought by another EU Member State in relation to Plans/Programmes, we will as appropriate, in association with the relevant Department with responsibility for the particular SEA Sector, contribute to the national statutory submission.
Download a copy of our 'Environmental Report Submission Template'. This may be of assistance to you when you are preparing your Environmental Report and draft Plan or Programme.
In exceptional circumstances, higher risk or higher level Plans or Programmes will be prioritised within our work schedule.
You are reminded that it is a matter for the Competent Authority to determine whether or not the implementation of the proposed Amendments to the Draft Plan/Programme would be likely to have significant effects on the environment. This assessment should take account of the criteria for determining the significance of effects as set out in Annex II of the SEA Directive. This Screening determination should be subject to the same method of assessment as undertaken in the “environmental assessment” of the Draft Plan and should be made prior to the adoption of the Plan/Programme.
You are also referred to the requirement to prepare an SEA Statement outlining “Information on the Decision” as required by Article 9 of the SEA Directive and should be made available for inspection. This should summarise the following:
A copy of the SEA Statement with the above information should be sent to any environmental authority consulted during the SEA process.
