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

I wish to speak to amendment No. 2. This is a very welcome amendment, as I am sure the Minister of State's briefing note tells him. Opposition members of the committee were arguing very strongly that the marine planning policy statement should have the formal approval of the Dáil. The amendment provides for that. This is similar to the maritime area plan and the planning framework. A similar procedure should also have been used and we argued for this on Committee Stage with respect to the ministerial guidelines and the ministerial policy directives. They have an equally significant strength.

Can the Minister of State give us a clear commitment that when this mechanism is to be used, we will have full Oireachtas scrutiny, particularly through our committee? Can he tell us why a similar provision was not made with respect to the ministerial guidelines and policy directives?

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