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

Páirc Náisiúnta na Mara Chiarraí , which is on land and on sea, was a good opportunity to put that designation in place. It is just over a year old now and it is possible to see where the MPAs are located. I am not sure about navigation maps but will check that. Certainly what we have designated is defined. The MPAs legislation, in whatever manner that is done, will give us the opportunity to set down the agreed uses within an area. I would not dismiss what the Maritime Area Planning Act did. That represented the first time any Government had brought forward legislation to have marine planning architecture for our entire maritime area. One could argue that was one national DMAP. Now there are very significant rules, regulations and legislation around planning in the maritime area through the aforementioned Act brought forward by the last Government and which Senator Noonan and I were directly involved in. That allows us to step it up further. The new agency, the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority, was established under that legislation. I met with the authority in Wexford just a few weeks ago. Obviously, its function in relation to maritime usage licences, MULs, and maritime area consents, MACs, is very important in ensuring that people cannot just go and do what they like in relation to infrastructure such as sea cables, offshore renewable energy facilities and all of the other marine activity. That authority is now in one place, in Wexford and is staffed by experts. We now have a commissioner at An Coimisiún Pleanála level who is a maritime expert and planner. There is a maritime unit in there now. None of these things existed five years ago. I agree that we need to do more but a good foundation has been built.