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

I assure the Deputies that there is no lack of political will. It is our utmost priority. I appreciate the support from the committee and across the House. That is not to say there is any conflict between offshore renewables and marine biodiversity. As I said, the ecological sensitivity analyses have been conducted for the Celtic Sea and the Irish Sea. They will continue to inform processes around designation and areas fit for offshore renewables. Separately, I mentioned the two SPAs, in particular the largest in the history of the Irish State, the seas off Wexford, which have brought us closer to the 10% strict protection, as set out in the programme for Government. We are there in that regard. The MPA legislation is the last piece of the jigsaw. We want it to be published. I would love for it to get through the Houses of the Oireachtas in the lifetime of this Government but that is not something I am in control of. I stress that every effort is being made. I am also conscious that when I met fishing communities three or four years ago, they wanted this from a heritage perspective to protect fisheries. I met fishers in Tralee Bay a number of weeks ago. They want to get on with projects, which is why there is the MPA LIFE project. We will make every effort to get this MPA legislation published. Other work is ongoing and an important layer also.

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