Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputies. They have outlined briefly the rationale for supporting co-ordination for land-sea interactions with a legally compliant approach to maritime spatial planning and legally compliant maritime spatial plans”. That provision is already in the Maritime Area Planning Act, which this Oireachtas debated at length. Deputies will recall that Members had different views as to the timing but that legislation represented very significant change. For the first time, we have a maritime area plan to look after our maritime area which is about six and a half to seven times our land area. It is already set out on a legal basis in the Maritime Area Planning Act. That Act governs the legal basis for maritime spatial planning and plans. I ask the Deputies to expand on this further because I am not sure of the rationale for this amendment. Are they tying the national planning framework in with maritime spatial plans, which would occur at different times? I listened to the previous debate in relation to timing and how the census interacts with the NPF. The national planning framework is obviously for on-land development. This Government made a very significant step forward in relation to legislating for our maritime area under the Maritime Area Planning Act, which provides for maritime spatial plans for the first time. It is a real advance. I am not sure what the benefit of this amendment would be or how it would actually work in practice. I do not think it is necessary, to be honest, because it is already covered under the Maritime Area Planning Act 2021. If the Deputies want to expand a little bit further on it so I can understand the rationale behind it, I am happy to listen to them.