John Perry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)

I have just one comment, which follows from those of Deputy Broughan. I fully appreciate the Minister of State's work on this Bill, but it appears that we are now talking about territorial waters, licensing and aquaculture. The Minister has recently taken over as Minister of State with responsibility for the marine, and since his appointment he has performed very well. However, the difficulty is that this Bill stretches back so far. The civil servants inherited a great many add-ons that may somewhat dilute the intentions behind the Bill. For the layman looking at it, the additions dilute the main focus, which is maritime safety. This has been discussed, and the Minister of State has now tabled additional amendments. I know the importance of having this dealt with, so let us proceed.

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