Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his contribution. Sinn Féin will be supporting this largely technical Bill as it is essential to ensure the transfer of all of the necessary powers and functions to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, as it is now called. I would like to use the few minutes available to me to address a number of matters that are being dealt with by way of this transfer and to seek a response from the Minister of State, if possible.

We have all been deeply saddened by the scenes of devastation in Killarney National Park. The Minister of State visited the park, saw the devastation for himself and spoke about it publicly. It must be said that one of the key problems that we have is the lack of independence, powers and adequate funding for the National Parks and Wildlife Service, NPWS. I know that the Minister of State is absolutely committed to trying to address those three problems. A consultation process is under way and I have corresponded with the Minister of State to seek an assurance that before the outcome of that consultation is finalised, he and his officials will engage with the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage and seek its input into the process. This is a really good opportunity for us to try to transform the NPWS into an agency not unlike the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, or other similar independent, well resourced bodies. If the Minister of State is looking for an ally in the work he is doing in respect of that, he certainly has one on this side of the House.

I know the Minister of State also has a specific involvement in the consultation process and, subsequently, the legislation pertaining to marine protected areas. This is such an important piece of the growing architecture of legislation and institutions to ensure that our marine environment is properly regulated and that the multiple uses we all want to see of the marine area, whether they are economic activities such as fisheries or renewable offshore wind generation or activities to protect marine biodiversity, are all done in ways that are mutually reinforcing. Many of us are concerned that the long time lag between progressing the Marine Planning Bill, the marine planning framework and the legislation on marine protected areas is not best practice.

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That is not the fault of the Minister of State. I know this is an area that he is passionate about. However, our committee has been told by marine biology experts that the time lag is a big problem and even if the marine protected area legislation comes to the House before the end of this year and is passed, there will still be a lengthy time lag before designations take place. Of course, designations are of no value unless they are adequately enforced and regulated.

I urge the Minister of State to do everything he can to ensure that as the legislation is introduced, designation activity, where it's appropriate, is prioritised along the east cost where a first tranche of major offshore wind energy project would be seeking planning permission and that the genuine concerns of inshore fishermen and the communities for whom they provide economic stability are not disregarded.

There is a concern among environmental NGOs that deal with marine biodiversity and the inshore fishermen's association that the interests those two groups advocate for may not be as high on the priorities of other partners in government as I am convinced they are for the Minister of State and, therefore, it is an issue he needs to raise in the Department and in his engagement with his line Minister.

I express concern that there are further delays in the advancement of the State's architecture policy. This is important work and good work has been done by the officials but it has been quite some time since the initial consultation concluded. Many of us on the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government are keen to participate in that. The Minister of State has willing partners.

With respect to the historic monuments legislation and specifically the national monument of Moore Street, we need to see greater urgency in progressing these Bills. As our committee chairperson who is sat beside the Minister of State, Deputy Matthews, will tell the Minister of State, we have a heavy Government legislative schedule but we cannot allow heritage to continue to be marginalised in the way it was under previous governments. The Minister of State and the housing committee members would like to play as positive a role as possible in advancing those as well as the other issues the Minister of State has responsibility for.

We are certainly happy to pass the Bill and look forward to having the Minister of State in front of the Oireachtas housing committee to talk about these matters and others that are important to all of us.

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