Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)

I am not sure what response the Deputy got on the MPA legislation or from which Department but I can give her the overall objective from the Government perspective, which is to ensure that we achieve 30% marine protected areas by 2030. This is a commitment that the Government has given and I have reiterated on its behalf a number of times, most recently at the UN ocean conference earlier this week in Nice. I understand that the marine environment function is still with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and that it will transfer shortly. I am hopeful that it will be within the Department of climate change by autumn. I do not have any responsibility in respect of the passage of that legislation just yet, so I cannot give the Deputy any commitment as regards it. However, what I am anxious to do, and I have discussed this with the marine planning section of the Department, is that we advance it without delay. I am conscious that the commitment should be about action. I cannot confirm at this stage whether it will be stand-alone legislation. My aim is about getting it delivered and putting a regulatory regime in place where we can do it. I have thoughts about how it might be able to be done, recognising that the Government has already announced a decision to do a national designated marine area plan, DMAP. The Deputy will know a regional DMAP was done off the south east coast that has been successful in identifying the area, and there will be auctions arising out of that for offshore renewables. I am conscious when that work is being done around developing a marine area plan that a lot of the same work is required to do a marine protected area. I am looking at the possibility of co-ordinating the two and that, as we create a national DMAP, we look to carrying out a programme that will identify areas for marine protection at the same time. I cannot say whether that will require a single Bill or if a significant amendment to existing legislation like the Maritime Area Planning Act 2021 may ultimately be the vehicle that will allow us to progress it more fully, but I will engage with the Deputy because I know her interest in the area from my time serving with her on the other side.

On the EU-Iceland agreement, discussions have taken place at European level. We have engaged with the Commission on what our position might be but nothing further has emerged from that. There were some initial indications that there was a desire to reach an agreement on blue whiting in the early stages and the opportunity for Icelandic fishers to access Irish waters - EU waters in that context - but that has not progressed with any great haste. There was indication that there was a desire to have discussions expedited by the end of May. I met the Commissioner again earlier this week in Nice and there was no further movement on that.