Ireland's Nature Restoration Plan — have your say

Banner image: Pixabay

Please consider having your say on the consultation, open until 1 July by email.

Link to the Government's Consultation Documents — First public consultation on Ireland’s draft National Nature Restoration Plan from: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

Open for submissions from: 3 June 2026 — Submissions closed: 1 July 2026

You have the option of filling out the form available for the consultation or sending an email. 

The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage invites you to share your views on Ireland’s draft National Nature Restoration Plan (NRP). Developed as a whole-of-government approach in line with the EU Nature Restoration Regulation, the NRP sets out how Ireland will contribute to legally binding targets, including restoring ecosystems and improving biodiversity by 2030 and beyond. The draft NRP is an early, technical draft focused on baseline information and existing measures. It does not yet include a full programme of actions and will be further developed through a phased process. Your feedback will help shape the next version of the NRP. 

The public consultation period closes on Tuesday, 30 June 2026. 

Note: This survey is hosted by NPWS. Responses may be accessed and processed by authorised representatives supporting this consultation. This survey is anonymous and we will not be collecting any contact information from respondents. Please do not include any personal or identifying information in your responses and answer the questions as accurately as possible. If you wish to submit additional documents or attachments, please email [email protected]

'90 per cent of habitats protected under the Habitats Directive are in unfavourable status, with particular pressures on bogs and semi-natural grasslands. The pressures on biodiversity from farming include land use change such as land drainage and reclamation of wetland and key habitats, such as species-rich and semi-natural grasslands, overuse of external inputs such as fertilisers and chemicals; and intensification of farming systems that lead to a loss of biodiversity.'

The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage are preparing Ireland’s initial draft National Nature Restoration Plan (NRP) in response to the adoption of the Nature Restoration Regulation (NRR) (EU) 2024/1991 by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union in 2024.

The Regulation represents the first comprehensive, legally binding framework at EU level dedicated specifically to the largescale restoration of degraded ecosystems across land and sea. It establishes binding restoration targets for a wide range of terrestrial, freshwater, coastal, marine, agricultural, forest and urban ecosystems, with the overarching objective of restoring at least 20 percent of the EU’s land and sea area by 2030 and all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050.

    Link to full Draft Template Nature Restoration Plan:

    The EU Nature Restoration Regulation (NRR) provides a clear legal basis for climate mitigation through nature restoration. Article 4 is particularly relevant, as it includes ecosystems such as peatlands and saltmarshes, along with forests also pertaining to Article 12, that are critical for carbon sequestration and storage. For example, rewetting drained peatlands, which is also supported under Article 11, can halt and, over time, reverse GHG emissions from degraded soils while safeguarding their role as long-term carbon stores. It is important to note that, given the wide variety of ecosystems, not all nature restoration measures will lead to a net reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. It is therefore critical to make the right intervention in the right place to maximise win-wins. 

    • Article 5 can support mitigation through the protection and recovery of blue carbon marine ecosystems and habitats that sequester and trap carbon, such as seagrass meadows, salt marshes and in particular soft sediment habitats due to their large coverage. Urban ecosystems can also contribute to mitigation. Measures under Article 8, including urban greening and increased tree canopy cover, can contribute to GHG emission reductions by enhancing carbon sequestration, though their overall impact is limited compared to other nature-based mitigation measures. Importantly, nature-based mitigation can reduce tradeoffs with hard-engineered climate mitigation solutions.

    Planning of renewable infrastructure such as onshore and offshore wind energy and hydropower should minimise conflicts with biodiversity , including conflicting with restoring the natural connectivity of rivers under Article 9, and wider ecosystem restoration goals. Integrating restoration within the design, planning and implementation of these infrastructure developments can create win-win situations for both restoration and climate mitigation. Overall, the NRP demonstrates how nature restoration can be an important component of climate change mitigation, potentially delivering sustained GHG reductions while reinforcing biodiversity recovery and climate resilience (see section 4.2.5).

    • Article 11 is also highly relevant, as it promotes the enhancement of biodiversity in agricultural ecosystems and high-diversity landscape features. Measures such as reducing nutrient surplus and restoring hedgerows and field margins can help prevent further soil degradation while improving ecosystem productivity and resilience. The NRP aligns with emerging EU soil policy, including the Soil Monitoring Law, which aims to achieve healthy soils by 2050 through monitoring, sustainable management and restoration of degraded land. Nationally, the NRP reinforces objectives under the 4th National Biodiversity Action Plan and the National Peatlands Strategy, which contain measures that can restore soil function, hydrology and ecosystem integrity. By embedding restoration across terrestrial and agricultural landscapes, the NRP provides a coordinated pathway for Ireland to reverse land degradation, rebuild soil health, and restore resilient, productive ecosystems in line with LDN principles.
    Manage Cookie Preferences