Mr. Conor McCabe:

I thank the Deputy for his comments and questions. We could probably have a separate two-hour session just to reply to the amount he covered, but I will do my best and bring other colleagues in to try to answer everything.

The committee has heard about parts of our implementation plan already, but there are other elements that we have not covered today. We have many irons in the fire in terms of how we will roll out marine spatial planning, one of which is an offshore renewable energy and seafood working group, which we hope to get off the ground in the next few weeks. It will bring together representatives from the offshore wind energy industry as well representatives from the aquaculture and sea-fishing industries to create a communications protocol that we are planning will serve as a template for how those groups will communicate with one another in future so that fishers are not left out of the decision-making process and they know exactly what is happening with development plans in their areas or their areas of work.

The second leg of this four-legged stool is the maritime jurisdiction Bill, which will be before the Oireachtas in a couple of weeks. It will pave the way by setting out the territorial boundaries of the maritime area, which is seven times our land area.

That is the other leg of the stool which I would be examining.

I am sure it is frustrating for the Deputy but it is equally frustrating for me that I cannot give an answer on the marine protected areas, MPAs. I recommend that the committee brings in those responsible for them to discuss their plans. There is an ongoing public consultation. I know that is not what the Deputy wants to hear but it is all I have for him.

I will ask Ms Anne-Marie Clancy to discuss the offshore renewable energy development plan, the second version of which will be coming out in the next 12 to 24 months. It will inform the decision-making process to which the Deputy referred.

An Bord Pleanála has a submission in with the Department on what it will need to resource and properly address this new work coming its way. We are considering this in the context of new industry, the national development plan and so forth. We are on top of that side of things in terms of local authorities. We will be consulting local authorities on an ongoing basis on the resources they may need to implement this framework in all its guises.