Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

Taking up Deputy Boyd Barrett's point, that is what is so important about this amendment. Our marine environment has huge value for the people working in it, huge economic potential and huge value in terms of its biodiversity, but its role in carbon capture and as a carbon sink also has an incredible value. It does not make any sense to do something to tackle climate change that will potentially damage that role.

It is disappointing that the Minister of State suggested that we are calling for the national marine planning framework to be ripped up. No one here has called for that. We acknowledge that a huge amount of work has gone into it. What we are specifically calling for in this amendment is a review and explicit assessment of the framework against specific articles of the habitats directive, the maritime strategy framework directive and the birds directive. I do not take the view that a parallel process is happening here. Clearly, what is happening is that we are seeing the planning framework, which is needed, being put in place first and the marine protected areas being put in place after that. It is not a parallel process. I appreciate work is happening on both processes in parallel but the fact we are concluding this Bill shortly means its provisions will come into operation first, potentially several years ahead of marine protected areas being put in place in full. That is the issue. The two processes are not happening in parallel. What interim measures will be put in place to protect sensitive marine environments pending the designation of the marine protected areas?

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