Mr. Conor McCabe:

I thank the Chairman and members for the invitation. I am the principal officer responsible for the ongoing development and implementation of the new maritime planning system, brought about by the Maritime Area Planning Act and the national marine planning framework.

The State has undergone the most comprehensive review and overhaul of marine legislation and governance since its formation. The two primary pillars of this reform are the national marine planning framework, NMPF, which was launched by the Taoiseach on 1 July 2021, and the Maritime Area Planning Act, which was passed by these Houses and subsequently promulgated by the President on 23 December 2021.

The NMPF is the long-term forward plan for Ireland’s maritime area to ensure the effective management of marine activities and more sustainable use of our marine resources. It is also intended to support the introduction of offshore renewable energy into our maritime area. The Maritime Area Planning Act will be the cornerstone of the new marine planning system in Ireland and brings together and creates the legal foundation for forward planning, streamlined development management and enforcement. All future offshore renewable energy applications will be consented through this Act. The Act will also establish a new agency, the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority, MARA, the role of which will be to govern the occupation of the maritime area. With these initiatives, and guided by the NMPF, our maritime planning system will move towards being a plan-led process rather than the developer-led system it currently is.

The NMPF is a parallel document to the national planning framework, NPF. Both of these spatial plans are concerned with the long-term future of our land and sea area, identifying opportunities for protection, growth and development so that our land and marine areas can be managed in the best interests of the public. The NPF recognises the importance of integration and co-ordination with the land planning regime at national, regional and local levels. In future it will be equally important, in turn, that national, regional and local terrestrial plans are consistent with the NMPF, as will be required under the Maritime Area Planning Act. The Act also provides for designated maritime area plans, DMAPs, which are management plans for a localised area of our sea, to be developed. Any Minister or relevant public body will be able to bring forward a DMAP proposal for a geographic area or sector which will be subject to public participation, environmental assessment and Oireachtas decision. Once approved, these DMAPs become part of the NMPF. This ensures a joined-up approach to marine forward planning with binding considerations for decision-makers. I fully expect that the enduring offshore renewable energy system will be led and supported by DMAPs and will manoeuvre the system away from a developer-led model and towards a State-led model. I thank the committee members for their interest and am happy to answer their questions.