High Court case involving EirGrid and Dublin Bay fishermen highlights dispute over offshore surveys, licence conditions and fishing activity.
EirGrid Case Targets Dublin Bay Fishermen And Unknown Parties
A High Court case involving EirGrid has brought renewed attention to tensions between offshore energy development and the fishing sector in Dublin Bay.
Case details confirm that EirGrid plc has initiated legal proceedings against named defendants George Duncan, Peter Ryan and Eric O’Reilly, along with “persons unknown interfering with the permitted maritime usage in the licenced area under Maritime Usage Licence (reference no. MUL240010)”. The company is represented by Mason Hayes & Curran LLP.
The proceedings relate to activity within a licenced offshore area, where EirGrid is undertaking subsea survey work linked to offshore wind development.
While the existence of the case is confirmed, the outcome of any application for an injunction has not been independently verified in court reporting at the time of writing.
Irish Fishing News Patron 2026
Dáil Intervention Highlights Fishermen Concerns Over Displacement
The dispute has reached the floor of Dáil Éireann, where Richard Boyd Barrett raised the issue during Leader’s Questions on 28 April 2026.
Richard Boyd Barrett, TD, said that “it is an absolute disgrace that many of the benefits of offshore wind will be given away to private for-profit companies, most of which are from other countries”. He added that “another problem that flows from the policy the Government has pursued in this area is the displacement of fishers”.
Referring directly to the Dublin Bay situation, he stated that he had received correspondence from local fishermen “who have had an injunction taken out against them by EirGrid, which is doing surveys in respect of offshore wind”.
He further claimed that despite conditions attached to the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority licence, “EirGrid is now taking out an injunction against Dublin fishers who fish in Dublin Bay, saying their gear is in the way and the fishers must get their gear out of the way”.
During the same exchange, Richard Boyd Barrett also stated that “it is even against EU law to displace one industry with another”.
Licence Conditions and Legal Claims Remain Contested
At the centre of the dispute is Maritime Usage Licence MUL240010, issued by Maritime Area Regulatory Authority, which governs permitted activities within the offshore survey area.
Claims made in the Dáil suggest that the licence includes provisions requiring that survey operations do not interfere with existing fishing activity. However, the precise wording and legal interpretation of these conditions have not been detailed in court documents made publicly available.
Assertions that the legal action may conflict with EU law have been raised politically but have not been tested or confirmed in court.
Offshore Wind Development Continues to Drive Marine Access Conflicts
The case reflects a broader pattern of interaction between offshore wind development and the fishing industry, particularly in areas where survey and construction work overlaps with established fishing grounds.
EirGrid’s survey work forms part of Ireland’s offshore electricity infrastructure planning, linked to national renewable energy targets. Such surveys typically involve geophysical and geotechnical assessments of the seabed.
No direct statement from EirGrid or MARA has been included in the available material regarding the current proceedings or the specific allegations of interference.
The progression of the case, and any confirmed court rulings, are likely to determine how conflicts between licenced offshore activities and existing fishing operations are managed in practice.
