Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 78:

In page 28, between lines 18 and 19, to insert the following: “(5) The Minister shall ensure a full public consultation on the MSP, in line with the State’s obligations under the Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive and the Aarhus Convention.”.

As the Minister of State will be aware, these amendments all deal with two key aspects of public participation in the drafting, amending or annulling of a marine spatial plan, MSP, or aspects thereof. I am still not clear as to how public participation is envisaged with respect to the marine spatial plan. It might be helpful if the Minister of State in his response not only reads his written reply on the deficiencies of our amendments but also puts on record how that public participation process is envisaged under section 18.

There is an relationship, which the amendments speak to, between the review of the NMPF and the drafting, amending or revoking of an MSP. I have a concern with the way in which the Bill is drafted in that public participation, in the context of the NMPF, will kick in at a later stage and, therefore, there could be periods in which there would not be adequate public participation, with respect to both the marine spatial plans and amendments to or replacements of marine spatial plans. If the Minister of State could set that out, it would be helpful.

It is important to ensure that where public participation is in place, there will be no undue or unnecessary obstacles to that participation. That includes ensuring information is made as widely available as possible, with no onerous fees that would block it. That is not something that is necessarily in our current planning regime but it can be seen in, for example, some of the new provisions of the forestry legislation. I accept that does not relate to the Minister of State's Department but it is still a worry for those of us who are concerned with access to public participation.

Depending on the Minister of State's outline of how he envisages public participation with respect to these, I might come back in. The amendments are about trying to ensure the maximum level of public participation at the earliest stage in the process in order that the public can be brought in to the plan-led approach the Minister of State outlined in his response to opposition earlier.