Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

I support this amendment. Unless amendments such as this are incorporated in the Bill, it is a wasted opportunity and time will be lost. I could not agree more with Deputy Barrett's contribution. Instead of abolishing the Department of the Marine, we should have enhanced its role to include natural resources and developed that area. Some 93% of the territory of the country is under water, which is a significant resource. The Minister of State's speech noted that the guiding principle of moving the role and function, in terms of licensing, to the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government was because its primary role was to pursue sustainable development.

We have an opportunity. We cannot bury the review of the foreshore licensing legislation any longer and waste more time. As Deputy Barrett said, Irish and non-Irish companies are waiting to invest millions of euro in this area and trials are being moved from this country to other parts of the world in an effort to develop prototypes.

It is not sufficient to say that only seven of the 420 licensed wind turbines have been allowed. There are other reasons for that. Wave and tidal power stands waiting to be developed. As I said in last night's debate on climate change, when the Gulf States discovered they had a resource and an energy source in abundance that the world needed, they got their act together and have had 40 years of sustained economic growth which they have invested well. The Celtic tiger might have been the Lotto 1 squandered, but this is an open door to the Lotto 2. We are procrastinating and waiting for another Bill. While the Bill is not perfect, it will be improved if the Minister of State accepts the amendment.

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