The quality of environmental impact statements: a review of those submitted in Cork, Eire from 1988–1993

A total of 44 environmental impact statements (EIS)submitted to planning authorities in Cork, Ireland from 1988 to 1993 were evaluated using a technique developed at the EIA Centre, University of Manchester, UK. This package was very useful as a framework for EIS assessment, but requires further development for successful application to specific project types. A substantial proportion of recent Irish EISs are unsatisfactory and weaknesses identified in earlier reviews remain. The current situation is influenced by the lack of scoping guidelines, deficiencies in legislation, and poor perceptions among developers and consultants of what constitutes an adequate EIS. It is hoped that new guidance produced by the Environmental Protection Agency will help to improve statement quality. This review can be used as a baseline against which to judge the effectiveness of the new guidance.