Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Amendment No. 2 is the substance of this grouping. It provides clear Oireachtas oversight over the making of a marine planning policy statement. It proposes that a draft marine planning policy statement shall be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas and will be subject to a resolution. This amendment also makes it clear that the marine planning policy statement is subject to the appropriate assessment and strategic environmental assessment requirements, as amended. The Minister, in the preparation of the marine planning policy statement, shall have regard to any resolution, report or recommendation of any committee of both Houses of the Oireachtas or either such House. This amendment arises from our own discussions on Committee Stage. Amendments to this section were proposed on 19 October 2021. At that meeting we gave a commitment to address this matter with a Report Stage amendment, and we have done so. This demonstrates positivity in the way Committee Stage was conducted and the useful input of all involved. We were able to provide the drafting provision. This is similar to others where documents were laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas and provides that submissions made by any committee will be taken into account by the Minister in the drafting of the marine planning policy statement.

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