Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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This is a sensible provision to try and ensure co-operation between, if I understand it correctly, different State agencies, Departments and public bodies that may have an interest in the maritime area, have responsibilities in the maritime area or be involved in activities in the maritime area. That seems sensible given that there are many competing imperatives in the maritime area, whether it is the protection of biodiversity, amenity uses, tourist concerns, offshore energy development, fishing or the many other matters that might be important.

It is positive that we would have agreements. How would the decision that it is necessary to have such an agreement between different bodies be triggered? Could the Minister of State respond to the concern, consistent with the concerns that we have raised throughout, that insofar as agreements might be struck between MARA and other Departments or public bodies, whether it is heritage, fishing, tourist and amenity concerns or wildlife concerns, that such agreements be screened in some way? Will the public be aware of such agreements and do we need to concern ourselves about the degree to which such agreements might run foul of the directives that we have talked a lot about such as the marine spatial planning directive, the habitats directive, the birds directive or the Aarhus Convention? In most other cases we have argued, whether it is guidelines, statements, plans or consents, one needs public knowledge, public oversight, political oversight and a concern to ensure that all directives are being complied with? Do we need to spell it out in terms of such agreements because these agreements presumably would be a little like management plans of the maritime area where there are different groups involved with an interest in the same maritime area?