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

I can read the technical response. It might assist the Deputy. Amendment No. 229 provides that any applicant for a maritime area consent may enter into pre-application discussions with the board. This would run contrary to the policy intention of the sequential MAC planning process whereby the MAC is the gateway to planning. There are a number of possible negative outcomes that could occur as a result of this amendment. First, where an applicant fails to be granted a MAC there is no resolution proposed for the outcome in the amendment. In other words, are they no longer a prospective applicant? There is the further possibility in such instances of the board’s resources potentially being wasted. The applicant cannot guarantee in respect of their access to any specific part of the maritime area without being granted a MAC. The purpose of the MAC application process in the first instance, as has already been stated repeatedly, is to test the ability of the applicant to deliver on what has been proposed. The net result of this is that at the pre-application process, the board would engage in a more likely result in an application for development and that speculative applications are actively discouraged. The result of this amendment could, in theory, be a deluge of applications for MACs with a concurrently deluge of applications for pre-planning with the board, most of which would not get beyond application stage. The resources of MARA and the board would potentially be wasted.

As I have said previously, I am seeking to move a more orderly and plan-led system than we have had heretofore and our fear is this potentially could undermine that objective. I am sure this is not the intention and the Deputy would no doubt want to see proposals for much needed wind infrastructure processed as soon as possible but I also note the decision in time for a MAC is 90 days. That is not excessive considering the design and development timeframes for such infrastructure. The assessment criterion in the MAC process will provide the best applications for planning. The sequential approach being proposed here is in the best interests of the State and the resources at our disposal. I am sure, on reflection, the Deputy may consider what I have just referred to.