Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister and Minister of State. The Labour Party supports this motion. When it appeared on the Order Paper last week, it raised some eyebrows. The language seemed almost hostile and environmentally damaging. I thank the officials from various Departments for the briefing they gave to spokespersons on Monday, which set out what this was about and what it would lead to. The previous speaker's points were well made and I am sure more will be made. The delicate ecology of our seas and its protection are important. One thing we have seen in the pandemic is an increased use of our coastline amenity.

The Minister and I share a constituency with a number of coastal communities. He will be aware of a number of constituents who live by the coast but had never set foot in the sea, yet have become avid sea swimmers and have taken an interest in the delicate environment around our coast like never before. That is a positive change. This is a somewhat technical matter and we are waiting to see what the EPA applications will ultimately look like. How we decommission the behemoths at sea will be a test for our nation. I think we will get this right. We are all invested in ensuring this delicate ecology and environment is protected.

I do not think there is any need to speak further on this motion. I look forward to seeing what emerges from it. Hopefully, we will pass those ecological and environmental tests as we progress.

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