Have a personal or library account? Click to login
A review of policy coherence in three environmental policy areas in Ireland Cover

A review of policy coherence in three environmental policy areas in Ireland

Open Access
|Jun 2025

References

  1. Ansell, C., Sørensen, E. & Torfing, J. (2023). Public administration and politics meet turbulence: The search for robust governance responses. Public Administration 101(1), 3–22. https://doi.org/10.1111/padm.12874
  2. Augustenborg, C., Lentz, P. & Pender A. (2024). A review of water and marine based commitments in Ireland’s Programme for Government. A policy brief for An Fóram Uisce. https://thewaterforum.ie/app/uploads/2024/07/Policy-Brief_Progress-on-PfG-Water-Committments-for-the-Water-Forum.pdf
  3. Bingham, L. B., Nabatchi, T. & O’Leary, R. (2005). The new governance: Practices and processes for stakeholder and citizen participation in the work of government. Public Administration Review, 65, 547–58. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6210.2005.00482.x
  4. Bocquillon, P. (2018). (De-)Constructing coherence? Strategic entrepreneurs, policy frames and the integration of climate and energy policies in the European Union. Environmental Policy and Governance, 28(5), 339–49. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/eet.1820
  5. Bogdanor, V. (Ed.) (2005). Joined-up government. Oxford University Press. Bovens, M. (2010). Two concepts of accountability: Accountability as a virtue and as a mechanism. West European Politics, 33(5), 946–67. https://doi.org/10.1080/01402382.2010.486119
  6. Boyle, R. & Redmond, S. (2024). Evidence as enlightenment versus evidence as certainty: Appropriate uses of evaluative information in a post-truth world. In M. Marra, K. Olejniczak & A. Paulson (Eds.), Evaluation in the post-truth world (pp. 37–56), Routledge.
  7. Boyle, R., O’Riordan, J., O’Leary, F. & Shannon, L. (2021). Using an experimental governance lens to examine governance of the river basin management plan for Ireland 2018–2021. EPA Research Report No. 373. www.epa.ie/publications/research/water/research-373-using-an-experimental-governance-lens-to-examine-governance-of-the-river-basin-management-plan-for-ireland-20182021.php
  8. Bryman, A. (2016). Social research methods (5th ed.). Oxford University Press.
  9. Cairney, P. (2025). Policymaking integration, policy coherence, and whole-of-government approaches: A qualitative systematic review of advice for policymakers [version 1; peer review: 1 approved, 1 approved with reservations]. Open Research Europe, 5, 75. https://doi.org/10.12688/openreseurope.19864.1
  10. Cejudo, G. M. & Michel, C. L. (2017). Addressing fragmented government action: Coordination, coherence and integration. Policy Science, 50, 745–67. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11077-017-9281-5
  11. Crowe, M. (2021). Review of the Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO). https://irishriverproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/1.-LAWPRO-Review-Final-Report-17-January-2021.pdf
  12. Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. (2024). Water action plan 2024: A river basin management plan for Ireland. Government of Ireland. https://assets.gov.ie/303156/b0c6512b-2579-4296-9abeffdb1ddd6157.pdf#page=null
  13. Environmental Protection Agency. (2023). Circular economy and waste statistics highlights report 2021. www.epa.ie/publications/monitoring—assessment/waste/national-waste-statistics/circular-economy-and-waste-statistics-highlights-report-2021.php
  14. Environmental Protection Agency. (2024). Ireland’s state of the environment report, 2024. www.epa.ie/publications/monitoring—assessment/assessment/state-of-the-environment/irelands-state-of-the-environment-report-2024.php
  15. European Commission. (2000). Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy. https://eurlex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2000/60/oj
  16. European Commission. (2019). Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, The European Green Deal. COM/2019/640 final.
  17. European Environment Agency. (2022). Circular economy country profile – Ireland. https://epanet.eea.europa.eu/Eionet/etcs/etc-ce/products
  18. European Environment Agency. (2024). Accelerating the circular economy in Europe: State and outlook 2024. www.eea.europa.eu/publications/accelerating-the-circular-economy Eurostat. (2024). Material flows and resource productivity. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/environment/information-data/material-flows-resource-productivity
  19. Frederickson, H. G. (2004). Whatever happened to public administration? Governance, governance everywhere. Working Paper QU/GOV/3/2004. Institute of Governance Public Policy and Social Research, Queen’s University Belfast.
  20. Government of Ireland. (2018a). River basin management plan for Ireland, 2018–2021. https://assets.gov.ie/131981/dea37730-1ef0-4106-875b-5c433e823ad6.pdf#page=null
  21. Government of Ireland. (2018b). National policy statement on the bioeconomy. https://assets.gov.ie/2244/241018115730-41d795e366bf4000a6bc0b69a136bda4.pdf
  22. Government of Ireland. (2020). A waste action plan for the circular economy. Ireland’s national waste policy 2020–2025. www.gov.ie/en/publication/4221c-waste-action-plan-for-a-circular-economy/
  23. Government of Ireland. (2021). Whole of government circular economy strategy 2022–2023. Living more, using less. https://assets.gov.ie/207622/bd90130d-494e-4d32-8757-46d36c77b912.pdf#page=null
  24. Government of Ireland. (2023). Bioeconomy action plan. www.gov.ie/en/publication/a1bb6-bioeconomy-policy/#irelandsbioeconomy-action-plan-2023-2025
  25. Government of Ireland. (2024). Water action plan 2024. A river basin management plan for Ireland. www.gov.ie/rbmp
  26. Government of Ireland. (2025). Our shared future – Programme for government.
  27. Head, B. & Alford, J. (2015). Wicked problems: Implications for public policy and management. Administration and Society, 47, 711–39. https://doi.org/10.1177/0095399713481601
  28. Howlett, M. & Rayner, J. (2007. Design principles for policy mixes: Cohesion andcoherence in ‘new governance arrangements’, Policy and Society, 26(4), 1–18.
  29. Hughes O. E. (2023). The crisis of governance. Edward Elgar.
  30. Kivimaa, P., Hildén, M., Carter, T. R. et al. (2024). Evaluating policy coherence and integration for adaptation: the case of EU policies and Arctic cross-border climate change impacts. Climate Policy, 25(1), 59–75. https://doi.org/10.1080/14693062.2024.2337168
  31. Local Government Ireland. (2024). National waste management plan for a circular economy 2024–2030. https://mywaste.ie/sustainability/circular-living/national-waste-management-plan-for-a-circular-economy-2024-2030/
  32. O Cinnéide, M. & Bullock, C (2020.) Review of Local Authority Waters Programme 2016-2019, unpublished review.
  33. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (1996). Building policy coherence tools and tensions. PUMA Public Management Occasional Papers, No. 12.
  34. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2018). Implementing the OECD principles on water governance: Indicator framework and evolving practices. http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264292659-en
  35. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2019). Policy coherence for sustainable development 2019: Empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality. https://doi.org/10.1787/a90f851f-en
  36. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2020). Policy Framework on Sound Public Governance: Baseline features of governments that work well. https://doi.org/10.1787/c03e01b3-en
  37. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2021). Implementing the OECD recommendation on policy coherence for sustainable development. Guidance Note. COM/DCD/DAC/GOV/PGC(2021)1.
  38. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2023). Driving policy coherence for sustainable development: Accelerating progress on the SDGs. https://doi.org/10.1787/a6cb4aa1-en
  39. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2024). Unleashing policy coherence to achieve the SDGs: An assessment of governance mechanisms. https://doi.org/10.1787/a1c8dbf8-en
  40. Meuleman, L. (2021). Public Administration and Governance for the SDGs: Navigating between change and stability. Sustainability, 13(11), 5914. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13115914
  41. National Economic and Social Council. (2023). Just Transition in agriculture and land use. Council Report No. 162. www.nesc.ie/app/uploads/2023/06/162_just_transition_in_ag_land_use-1.pdf
  42. Nilsson, M. & Nilsson, L. J. (2005). Towards climate policy integration in the EU: Evolving dilemmas and opportunities. Climate Policy, 5, 363–76. https://doi.org/10.1080/14693062.2005.9685563
  43. Nilsson M. & Weitz, N. (2019). Governing trade-offs and building coherence in policymaking for the 2030 agenda. Politics and Governance, 7(4), 254–63. https://doi.org/10.17645/pag.v7i4.2229
  44. O’Riordan, J., Boyle, R. & Keating, S. (2025). A review of circular economy and bioeconomy governance in Ireland. EPA Research Report No. 479. Environmental Protection Agency. www.epa.ie/publications/research/circular-economy/Research_Report-479.pdf
  45. O’Riordan, J., Boyle, R., O’Leary, F. & Shannon, L. (2021). Using the OECD Water Governance Indicator Framework to review the implementation of the River Basin Management Plan for Ireland 2018–2021. EPA Research Report No. 372. Environmental Protection Agency. www.epa.ie/publications/research/water/Research_Report_372.pdf
  46. O’Riordan, J., Boyle, R., O’Neill, J., O’Leary, F. & Shannon, L. (2022). Sharing lessons learned from water governance. EPA Research Report No. 406. Environmental Protection Agency. www.epa.ie/publications/research/water/Research_Report_406.pdf
  47. O’Riordan, J. et al. (2023). Sharing lessons learned from water governance. EPA Research Report No. 406. Environmental Protection Agency. www.epa.ie/publications/research/water/research-406.php
  48. Pender, A., Kelleher, L. & O’Neill, E. (2024). Policy coherence barriers and drivers: Perspectives from policy-makers and policy-takers in Ireland’s bioeconomy. Bioeconomy Journal, 4. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bioeco.2023.100062
  49. Revez, A., Dunphy, N., Harris, C. et al. (2022). Mapping emergent public engagement in societal transitions: a scoping review. Energy Sustainability and Society, 12, 2. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13705-021-00330-4
  50. Righetti, M. & Lizzi, R. (2022). How scholars break down ‘policy coherence’: The impact of Sustainable Development global agendas on academic literature. Environmental Policy and Governance, 32, 98–109. https://doi.org/10.1002/eet.1966
  51. Shannon, L. & O’Leary, F. (2020). Local government: Engaging and empowering local communities. IPA Local Government Research Series No. 16. Institute of Public Administration.
  52. Setec Hydratec. (2022). An assessment of policy coherence and conflicts for water and environmental management: A report to the Water Forum. https://thewaterforum.ie/app/uploads/2022/06/An-Assessment-of-Policy-Coherence-and-Conflicts-for-Water-and-Environmental-Management.pdf
  53. Tõnurist, P. & Hanson, A. (2020). Anticipatory innovation governance: Shaping the future through proactive policy making. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
  54. Turley, G. & MacNena, S. (2024). Who gets the biggest slice? Local Authority Times, 26(1), 12–5.
  55. Wagner, P. & Ylä-Antilla, M. T. (2020). Can policy forums overcome echo chamber effects by enabling policy learning? Evidence from Irish climate change policy network. Journal of Public Policy, 40, 194–211. https://10.1017/S0143814X18000314
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/admin-2025-0010 | Journal eISSN: 2449-9471 | Journal ISSN: 0001-8325
Language: English
Page range: 43 - 71
Published on: Jun 3, 2025
Published by: The Institute of Public Administration of Ireland
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 4 issues per year

© 2025 Joanna O’Riordan, Richard Boyle, published by The Institute of Public Administration of Ireland
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.