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

I move amendment No. 16:

In page 35, between lines 7 and 8, to insert the following: “(3) Notwithstanding anything elsewhere in this Act, the competent authority (D) shall prepare a DMAP, or any amendment to a DMAP, in accordance with the following sections, and as if the reference to “MSP” in those sections was construed to read “draft DMAP”, and the references to “competent authority (M)” was construed to read “competent authority (D)”:

(a) Subsections (2), (4) and (5) of section 16, and

(b) Subsection (1) of section 17.”.

The import of this amendment is to ensure the DMAPs are consistent with the maritime spatial planning directive in exactly the same way as the maritime spatial plan and policy. We are looking to follow the exact same process for DMAPs as for the MSPs. I know the Minister of State will not be accepting the amendment, but I would like him to explain why if a more robust process is in place in this legislation for the MSPs, why is it not in place for the DMAPs given they have a level of significance that could cut across MSPs geographically or in terms of their content. I am interested to hear the Minister of State's response to this.

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