GSI Data Supporting Legislative Requirements

Geological Survey Ireland datasets are useful in allowing plan-makers and project proposers to support their plans as required in various legislation.

Several of our datasets are referred to in legislation and/or associated guidance documentation. These data are all publicly available and can be accessed on our website and through our map viewer. It is important that these datasets are considered when preparing environmental assessments and planning applications and at the design stage of developments. It is useful to include these at the initial scoping and constraints stages of environmental assessment and development planning and to be mindful of them throughout the planning process.

Groundwater Protection (GWPS)
County Geological Sites (CGS)
Groundwater Drinking Water Source Protection Zones
Landslides
Radon
Historic Mines

Groundwater Protection Schemes (GWPS)

Groundwater in Ireland is protected under European Community and national legislation. Local authorities and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are responsible for enforcing this legislation. A practical and effective means of protecting groundwater and preventing pollution is through the use of a Groundwater Protection Scheme (GWPS).

Geological Survey Ireland, the Department of Environment and Local Government (DoELG) and the EPA jointly developed a methodology for the preparation of GWPSs (also referred to as Groundwater Protection Plans, GWPPs by the EPA - Advice Note No.7, 2011; Source Protection and Catchment Management to protect Groundwater Supplies).

The role of Geological Survey Ireland is in the production of the land surface zoning map, whereas decisions on groundwater protection responses are the responsibility of the statutory authorities.

Data is limited to scale of 1:40,000.
Data does not include all of the source protections areas.
Link to map viewer

County Geological Sites (CGS)

Geology is recognised as an intrinsic component of natural heritage in three separate pieces of legislation or regulations, which empower and require various branches of Government and statutory agencies to consult and take due regard for conservation of geological heritage features. These are:

Planning and Development Act 2000 [e.g. Sections 212 (1)f; Part IV, 6; First Schedule Condition 21],
Planning and Development Regulations 2001,
Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2000 [enabling Natural Heritage Areas]

The Planning and Development Act 2000 and the Planning Regulations, in particular, place responsibility upon Local Authorities to ensure that geological heritage is protected.

Implementation of the Heritage Act 1995, through Heritage Officers and Heritage Plans, and the National Heritage Plan 2002, recognise County Geological Sites and allow them to be integrated into County Development Plans.

UNESCO Global Geopark status does not carry additional legislation in relation to planning.

All geological heritage sites identified by Geological Survey Ireland are categorised as County Geological Sites pending any further NHA designation by NPWS.
Link to map viewer

Groundwater Drinking Water Source Protection Zones

Groundwater Drinking Water Source Protection Zone delineation provides an assessment of the land area that contributes groundwater to a borehole/well, or spring (source).

Source reports have been undertaken by Geological Survey Ireland on behalf of Local Authorities since the mid 1990's. Since then, more than 192 have been completed and are available on our website. The souce protection is delineated to help prioritise certain areas around the groundwater source in terms of pollution risk to the source.

This prioritisation is intended to provide a guide in the planning and regulation of development and human activities within the framework of the county GWPS. The protection of public water supplies is also mentioned in Circular letter SP 5-03 which was issued from the DEHLG to all County/City Managers in July 2003. The circular states that source protection zones around public geoundwater supplies should be included in all County Development Plans.

Not all PWS / GWS have source protection. Check with Uisce Eireann / CoCo / NFGWS for private supplies.
Link to map viewer

Landslides

Landslides are referred to in chapter 5 of the ‘Draft Revised Wind Energy Guidelines’, updated 2021 (DHPLG). These guidelines supersede the 1996 guidelines and are one of a series of guidelines aimed at assisting planning authorities in the exercise of their functions. The Minister of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government issued these guidelines under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act, 2000, which requires both planning authorities and An Bord Pleanála to have regard to them in the performance of their functions. Offshore wind farms are excluded from the provisions of the Planning & Development Act 2000.

Chapter 5 (Section 5.3 Ground Conditions/Geology) requires that “a landslide and slope stability risk assessment for the site for all stages of the project, with proposed mitigation measures where appropriate (this should also consider the possible effects of storage of excavated material)”. The guidelines also require “An assessment of whether the development could create a bog burst or landslide hazard” to be included in the information supporting the planning application.

Associated guidance documentation relating to the National Landslide Susceptibility Map is also available.
Link to map viewer

Historic Mines

Article 20 of the Extractive Industries Waste Directive (2006/21/EC) states that "Member States shall ensure that an inventory of closed waste facilities, including abandoned waste facilities, located on their territory which cause serious negative environmental impacts or have the potential of becoming in the medium or short term a serious threat to human health or the environment is drawn up and periodically updated". Following this Directive, Ireland implemented the Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2006 which established that the Minister may prepare a plan for the long-term rehabilitation of the sites for the purpose of public or animal health or safety, for the protection of the environment or as is otherwise in the public interest.

A joint project including the EPA, Geological Survey Ireland and the former Exploration & Mining Division (now, Geoscience Policy Division, GSPD) followed. The project entitled "Historic Mine Site - Inventory and Risk Characterisation (HMS - IRC) Volume 1" involved detailed site investigations and characterisation on priority historic mine sites in the country. All of the major historic sites were characterised geochemically and all major chemical site hazards were identified. A final report and a GIS geodatabase was produced on completion of the project. Reports and maps are available from the EPA website here.

Other useful data for planning purposes includes the new GSPD historic mine remediation pages which contain all the reports for Avoca and Silvermines gov.ie - Historic Mines Rehabilitation (www.gov.ie).
Link to EPA maps viewer

Radon

It is a requirement under Building Regulations that all new housing must have a radon barrier if it is within a high radon area. While, all workplaces and schools should be tested if they are located within high radon areas as defined by the EPA Radon risk map.

Geological Survey Ireland is a member of the National Radon Control Strategy.

Link to EPA map viewer