6.2 | Strategic Environmental

6.2 | Strategic Environmental Assessment

Investments in transport networks and services, and the policies that drive these investments, can impact on the environment. Since NIFTI will set the framework for future development consent of projects listed in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive,14 it requires an SEA under the EU Council Directive 2001/42/EC on the Assessment of the Effects of Certain Plans and Programmes on the Environment (SEA Directive).

National Investment Framework for Transport in Ireland | Project Ireland 2040

Table 5: Strategic Environmental Assessment Objectives

Description	Types of Measures
Population, Human Health and Economy	Protect and enhance human health and quality of life in relation to increasing accessibility to economic, employment and community facilities through enhanced transport infrastructure and contributing to reduced transport emissions.
Tourism and Recreation	Protect recreation areas and amenity facilities and support and enhance access for tourism and recreation.
Biodiversity, Flora and Fauna	Protect and, where appropriate, enhance terrestrial, aquatic and soil biodiversity, particularly EU and national designated sites and protected species, and associated ecological corridors.
Landscape and Visual Amenity	Safeguard the character and diversity of the Irish landscape and minimise the visual efef cts on sensitive, designated landscapes and public views.
Cultural Heritage	Protect cultural heritage resources and their settings.
Geology and Soils	Protect geological sites of value and contribute towards the appropriate management of soil resources and quality.
Air Quality	Contribute to the reduction of air pollution (and improvement of air quality) resulting from transport.
Noise and Vibration	Contribute to mitigation of noise pollution issues resulting from transport.
Water Environment	Support the achievement of Water Framework Directive objectives and avoid increasing flood risk.
Land Use and Material Assets	Promote the sustainable use of natural resources (including land), encourage energy efficiency, materials reuse and recycling and the efef ctive use of existing infrastructure.
Climate Change (Mitigation)	Minimise contributions to climate change (through reducing greenhouse gas emissions and decarbonisation of the transport fleet) as a result of construction of new and/or upgraded transport infrastructure or operation of existing and new transport networks and fleets.
Climate Change (Adaptation)	Ensure that resilience to climate change is incorporated within the existing transport network and any proposed new transport infrastructure and that environmental resilience to climate change is supported.

National Investment Framework for Transport in Ireland | Assessing Environmental Impact