Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

As Deputy Ó Broin said, these are similar to the previous amendments but relate to the directives and guidelines. These are key aspects and these amendments shall be incorporated into the legislation. It is important to explicitly write in that when directives and guidelines are being drawn up, they specify that the Minister must act in accordance with the birds directive, the habitats directive and the marine strategy framework. Such an inclusion would strengthen the assurances in respect of the Minister's wide-ranging powers. It would grant a greater level of protection in respect of our marine biodiversity and marine environment. I will not dwell on this point for long but, as others have said, these issues are of major importance, especially to coastal communities and people working in fishing, regarding developing sustainable fishing practices and protecting our marine wildlife. I could not think of a better way of strengthening the Bill than passing these amendments.