Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator. I will take the first question. We are progressing well with the marine protected areas legislation. It is our intention to have it brought forward before the end of the summer recess and that is the commitment we have given. On the specifics around 10% and the blue carbon issue the Senator raised. We were clear in the initial report led by Professor Crowe and from our own public engagement on the drafting of the general scheme that we wanted to ensure public participation. Designing a public participation piece into it is going to be a novel element of the legislation. It has been a challenge to do it because it is quite innovative, but from the engagement we took part in across the country during Covid times when we met in Killybegs out in carparks with fishers and other communities, everyone wanted marine protected areas but the key demand was that it would be an iterative process and one in which everybody could participate and have a say. We will be moving the legislation and it will have that public participation element designed in, at which point we can move towards the consideration of the marine protected areas themselves. I hope that gives an answer. The 10% the Senator asked about must be led by the public and by communities. That is critically important and was asked for right across. It is hugely important we do it in that way because that is what was asked of us.