Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I agree. The collection of data should be in the ownership of the State. If a developer is going for planning, it will have a load of data it collects to produce an environmental impact report but one may not have access to that data. It is important that the raw data stays with the State. There are other agencies that could use it such as the National Parks and Wildlife Service or others but only if there is standardisation across the collection of that data.

We spoke earlier about enforcement. MARA's role will be in enforcement, which is a bit down the line because we are in the early days of the consent process. I think Deputy O'Callaghan made the point that if there is non-compliance with planning or another condition of a licence, etc., on land, you are often able to observe it because somebody walks by it, lives close to it or hears, smells or sees it. Way out at sea, that will be more difficult. There is a limit to how much you can go beyond your conditions anyway, if you are developing something. I wonder about observance of compliance with planning permissions, conditions and licences. The enforcement in the nearshore will be done by the local authority. Is that right? Yes. It is only for offshore that MARA will be responsible for enforcement.