Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will get that number in a briefing note and come back on it. The proposal in amendments Nos. 40 and 41 is to make provision for public consultation on the statement. This matter was raised by Deputies on Second Stage. I have tabled amendments Nos. 31, 36, 37 and 46 to set out public consultation procedures. The proposed provisions in amendments Nos. 40 and 41 are, therefore, unnecessary.

Amendment No. 41 contains a proposal regarding a requirement for strategic environment assessments, SEAs, and appropriate assessments, AAs, of the statement, including screenings. Again, as a result of the Second Stage debate, I have extended the provisions of section 31 to provide for such matters to include the statement in the amendment, the number of which I will confirm in a moment.

Amendment No. 44 repeats the requirement for public consultation and is redundant. The proposed subsection (7) allows for a statement to be amended or revoked.

The intention behind amendment No. 47 is that public bodies shall have regard to the marine planning policy statement. This has been provided for in amendment No. 46. I will therefore be opposing amendment No. 47. I will instead be moving the Government amendment No. 46 that sets out the public consultation procedures in respect of a proposed marine planning policy statement in a new subsection (8). The proposed subsection (6) also requires public bodies to have regard to the statement in the performance of its functions.

With regard to amendment No. 41, which amends section 31, I can now clarify that it should read "to include the Statement in Amendment 117", rather than amendment No. 118.