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

Section 91(a)(i), in regard to rehabilitating part of a maritime area, refers to a treatment to "restore the part to a satisfactory state, with particular regard to the seabed, water quality, wildlife, natural habitats, landscape and seascape [...]". This concerns the restoration of any aspect of the area within the MAC that one assumes has been damaged, disturbed or affected in some negative way. One of the problems here is how will we know if this is the case. If we think about this, if a MAC is granted, then conditions are applied to it regarding the restoration which may be required at a later stage, especially in respect of whatever works might have been carried out in the context of the licences secured. If we have no baseline assessment, however, how will we know what will need to be restored and what level to restore it to? How is that going to be determined and which agency will make that determination? Will it be MARA or other agencies?

Deputy Peter Burke:I understand that the MAC holder will have to put the area back to the way it was. The obligations are set out in section 92.