Caít Keane (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the witnesses to the committee. Living in Dublin, I do not deal with maritime issues every day but it is the most important area in planning because we are all surrounded by water. In addition, it is relevant to the debate on wind energy so we must ensure that we get the maritime sector right.

What would be Ms Kelly's top priority if she had to pick out one thing that this Bill should so that has not been done to date? What changes need to be undertaken to protect the foreshore? Does Ms Kelly consider that the current planning legislation is strong enough to deal with the problem of coastal erosion? When planning permission is given there should be a legal onus on every property owner concerning the knock-on effects of erosion, including displacement. Can anything be done in legislative terms to that effect?

Yesterday, we saw the result of a major court case concerning rights of way at Lissadell House in County Sligo. Rights of way on the foreshore are historical, cultural and necessary because of the public's wish to walk along the shoreline. Sometimes a development may need to install security measures that could block off a right of way that has existed for a long time. What can be done in this regard following the outcome of yesterday's court decision? I suppose we will have to work around it. Historic rights of way should be safeguarded, however. Ms Kelly can correct me if I am wrong, but I understand that all foreshore areas constitute a right of way. Can extra safeguards be inserted in the legislation to state that X number of metres or kilometres should be added to ensure that in any foreshore development, or adjacent developments, rights of way are protected?

There is a lot of detail in the Bill to which I may revert with other questions later.