Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for the response and I appreciate it. I do not know whether it is the Minister, Deputy Coveney, or which of the Minister of State's colleagues is responsible for managing the marine protection areas which we are looking to develop. I believe we are responsible for approximately 1 million sq. km of sea area, so let us take 200,000 sq. km, which is what we would need to do in my mind from a conservation approach in terms of protecting fisheries for the future, protecting smaller Irish inshore fleets rather than just all of the big international fleets scooping up all of our fish and, as I have said, assessing what is happening in the north Atlantic where there is extensive change. This is the type of vision or projection we should go towards. If we do, then there is a case for really expanding the role and purpose of the Naval Service in terms of policing. If we are to do this and tell the international community we are creating these large marine conservation areas then we have to be serious about not just policing it but also monitoring and assessing the scientific information. Obviously, we would have to work with the Marine Institute and the RV Celtic Explorer and other vessels.

With regard to this sort of vision of us really turning to the Atlantic and taking seriously our responsibility for its management, backing it up with investment in the Naval Service to ensure we are doing this in a really big proper way, has the Minister of State thought about conservation areas of this scale and this level of investment in a big vision of us monitoring and protecting our waters, researching what is happening in the Atlantic and providing the Naval Service with one of the roles, in conjunction with the Marine Institute particularly, to ensure it is achievable and that we are seen internationally as taking a lead in maritime protection and conservation?

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