Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The biosphere partnerships have the biosphere conservation research strategy, which I believe was headed by UCD. A project called Acclimatize was funded by INTERREG to assess the environmental pressures on the bay. When will the report be available? There was to be a meeting just last month between Irish Water, the EPA, HSE and the three local authorities to discuss the pressures on the bay. Is the Minister aware of the outcome of that?

Other major pressures will be exerted in the near future. There is a constant campaign by wind turbine manufacturers to promote the Dublin Array. We have heard about a project costing €1.5 billion whereby developers of wind energy facilities want to site more than 100 large turbines on the Kish and Bray banks. Those concerned have been pressurising the Government, including the Taoiseach, Deputy Varadkar, to bring forward the foreshore licensing so they may do this. The bay is, therefore, under enormous pressure. Surely, the Department should have a core role in protecting it.

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