Ms Ellen McMahon:

I am not sure what would be a realistic timeframe. I would want to speak to our members and the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, IWDG, and get those timeframes for specific species and habitats. A considerable amount of data has been collected through the marine strategy framework directive. Sensitivity mapping and interim protections could start tomorrow. If we look at our mud and sea floor habitats, we have a great amount of data on them. For example, circalittoral mud offshore occupies approximately 32,000 sq. km and yet 73% of it is highly disturbed. We have a lot of data about our sea floor integrity that we can go straight to and begin to reduce the pressures impacting on those areas. We can get started tomorrow and do not have to wait to have data for all the habitats, species and features we want to protect. We can start tomorrow with the ones for which we have data and then, as has been said by many of the witnesses today, start resourcing the monitoring of those other features we are going to want to protect.