Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Mr. McCabe can see cross-party desire in this committee to ensure we meet the 30% target of marine protected areas. As Mr. McCabe has said, public consultation is under way which will lead to legislation to designate those areas. As Mr. McCabe has said, it will be a legislative process to scrutinise the legislation. I am delighted the committee has taken such a keen interest and I look forward to scrutinising the legislation.

Ensuring our marine area is protected is a priority, not just for the committee, but for all coastal communities. The benefits the marine brings to the economy, its recreation and amenity value and the benefits the ocean area brings in terms of its contribution to carbon sequestration and the balance of the marine ecosystem need to be protected. It has been neglected for far too long, so I look forward to us dealing with that. I am confident because the marine area planning Bill and the national marine planning framework are going through and we are at the start of the process of developing marine protected areas.

At present, we have 2.1% of the total designated as a marine protected area. Is the majority of that area made up of special areas of conservation, SACs, special protection areas, SPAs, and Ramsar and UNESCO sites? Do we have anywhere called a "marine protected area"?