Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

It is my slot now. Several members referred to how large this Bill is and that what it seeks to do is significant in the management of our marine area for future development. That concerns not just commercial development, but also how we manage the precious environmental resource aspect. It is an indicator of its importance that the sea area is seven times greater than the land. The impact a healthy marine environment has on us on land cannot be stressed enough.

I am constantly trying to compare terrestrial planning to marine planning, just to have some place to start off and judge this matter on. One of the most important and core principles of our planning system is how democratic it is.

Anybody can make a submission on a planning application and appeal to An Bord Pleanála. If people seek to go further they can avail of judicial reviews. People also get input into county development and local area plans, so there is a good democratic process available.

Will the witnesses confirm that there will be a number of opportunities for public consultation on how we are managing our marine system? The national marine planning framework had a public consultation stage and it is now at a draft publication stage. Will there be a second round of public consultation on that, as there might be with a county development or regional spatial plan?

The marine spatial plans are like regional plans within that so will there be a public consultation aspect to them? We are dealing with the marine Bill today and there is a public consultation aspect to the development permission aspect. Is there also a public consultation aspect to the strategic marine activity zones? It is really important that there be such consultation, although I cannot see where there is a deficit currently in public consultation. I want to be sure I have those aspects correct.