A High Court judge will rule on a later date on a challenge aimed at quashing the €116 billion Project Ireland 2040 plan for the country’s development as invalid over alleged failure to carry out proper environmental assessments. The main relief sought is an order quashing the Government’s 2018 decision to adopt the plan on grounds of alleged failure to meet the assessment requirements of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Directive and the Habitats Directive. Project Ireland has two principal components, the National Planning Framework (NPF) and the National Development Plan (NDP). It disputed the respondents’ view the NDP did not require assessment and argued it required to be assessed under the SEA directive. It has also alleged failure to carry out an adequate assessment of alternative options for the purposes of the SEA directive.

Source: The Irish Times March 20, 2020 15:11 UTC