- Current Status:
The Planning Acts (1963 as amended) provide a comprehensive, transparent, judicious and widely used framework for structured public participation in planning and development control. Appeals can be made to the separate, quasi-judicial An Bord Pleanala. Objections to county development plans or developments occur at the county level but can be appealed to the national Planning Appeals Board or the Minister. These procedures are augmented within the EIA process by a facility whereby statutory and NGO bodies, on behalf of the public, can be consulted during scoping. The Environmental Protection Agency provides opportunities for public access to the process of licensing industry and waste management facilities. Recently there has been an increase in the number and quality of the partnerships and fora which facilitate dialogue between the various sectors and interests.
- Sectoral Differences:
The public sector leads the way, after a long period of being closed, secretive and paternalistic, but the private sector is becoming more open and responsive to public concerns, especially in view of formal procedures to obtain permits or licences. Irish subsidiaries of U.S. or German multinationals, with corporate ethical and accountability standards, are often more open than indigenous firms.
- Differences by Field:
In waste management, public participation takes place within an established regulatory framework. County development plans, including transportation, provide well established procedures for public participation; this is missing at the national level in transportation policy and road development. However, there are defined public participation procedures for individual transportation plans and land acquisition for them. Extensive public consultation occurred recently to prepare guidelines for wind energy development; interest groups contributed to the development of the Mining Policy Review 1997. In forestry, agriculture and fisheries, there are no formal structures for public participation but there are well established liaison groups; public participation has occurred recently for emerging issues. e.g. new forestry projects, mariculture and watershed management. Similarly, there have been an increasing number of public participation activities in tourism, marine policy and heritage policy issues.
- Trends:
Public consultation is developing rapidly and thus there are a wide range of types, depths and qualities evident. In EIA, the Environmental Protection Agency makes available formal scoping with the public and other interested government bodies and NGOs. An official government environmental information office, ENFO, in Dublin has many visitors to its library, which has a national collection of EISs, and many use its free though limited photocopying service; it also publishes leaflets on environmental topics. The Dept. of the Environment publishes a free quarterly Environmental Bulletin. Increasing numbers of Irish firms are adopting Environmental Management Systems e.g. ISO 14001 which require some level of public notification and consultation.
- Techniques:
Public exhibitions are becoming more common to outline the main points of a proposed development to local residents. Circulating information on a development, with a questionnaire, is also occurring more often, thanks to changes in planning acts. Other techniques commonly used are: partnerships and fora to reach well organized groups; bodies and commissions to organise responses to a particular issue; public notification requesting comments on a development; hearings or tribunals usually as part of a regulatory process; focus groups, surveys and public meetings which sample a population's opinions.
- Pressures for Economy & Efficiency:
The main concern is to undertake consultation early in project development so the public's key concerns will be identified and addressed in the development of the project strategy etc. Proponents are constantly lobbying to reduce or regularise the time taken for public participation. Recent legislation has standardised the time taken to determine decisions, but has reduced the scope for public objections; new legislation is scrutinised to minimize time-consuming provisions.
- Stakeholders vs. Public:
Balanced representation of stakeholders is usually sought in formalised partnerships and fora. In formal regulatory decision making, while there are designated consultees, there is a guaranteed right of participation for all, regardless of standing.
- Public Participation vs. ADR, Mediation, etc.:
Public participation is used in formal processes to prepare for conflict resolution; alternative methods are commonly used to anticipate and avoid conflict through convergent or integrated planning; ADR does not appear in legislation.
- Employment:
Government agencies and companies are not hiring public participation specialists, nor are there firms in this field. Instead independent facilitators have emerged, often with a planning or environmental background. Occasionally a public relations firm has attempted to work in this area.
- Policy vs. Project Focus:
There seems to be increasing attention now to participation in policy and program development. They have different structures and processes which are evolving to meet the needs of each situation. e.g. partnerships for policy and program development, and advocacy for projects.
- Comments, Suggestions, etc.:
Public consultation is essential to identify key issues and concerns of the public re development proposals and the development of national and regional strategies. Public participation is evolving rapidly in response to both the expansion of the economy and many structural and legislative changes. Interestingly there appears to be a notable division between those who are willing to co-operate in partnerships and those who wish to remain only as initiators or activists.
