Results 4,901-4,920 of 9,814 for speaker:Steven Matthews

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Marine Protected Areas Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: In our case, we only have one offshore array at the moment. What is the biggest threat to those 23 of 24 bird species in the Irish space?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Marine Protected Areas Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: That is an issue on our systems for land-based areas as well. I am sorry that I went over time but it was a point well worth making. Apologies to Deputy Cian O'Callaghan who is taking the next slot.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Marine Protected Areas Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: I will facilitate you to come back in.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Marine Protected Areas Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: Deputy O'Callaghan, Mr. Lyne has a hand up, probably on the acoustic monitoring you mentioned.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Marine Protected Areas Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: Ms Uí Bhroin, you wanted to put an answer on the record. I will bring in Mr. Lyne then.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Marine Protected Areas Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: I think he will return and we will bring him back in, but if you wish to answer you may do so.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Marine Protected Areas Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: That example of the ecosystem services benefit or benefit to humanity and climate that whales provide is fascinating. Many of us do not understand or know about that. Most of us look out to sea and just see the sea. We are not aware of the intricacy and complexity of what goes on at sea, but how it benefits us-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Marine Protected Areas Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: I want to stick with the question that Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked about whether we need to refer specifically to acoustic monitoring in the legislation. The witnesses can correct me but I assume that if one designates a special area of conservation or special protection area, SPA, it is because it is a habitat for the species and therefore the monitoring and management is related to the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Marine Protected Areas Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: I will continue the point and then let Mr. Lyne come back in. If a development is seeking consent which is close to an MPA, taking on board Dr. Griffin's point about connectivity in the network, buffer zones, and so on, it would be part of a consent process with conditions including acoustic monitoring, live reporting, buffer curtains, and so on. I assume all those bits and pieces would be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Marine Protected Areas Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: To clarify, when we are talking about where we were lacking management plans for our SACs, a management plan would, I assume, include monitoring as well.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Marine Protected Areas Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: Yes. It would be sensible to do that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Marine Protected Areas Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: Okay. Mr. Fogarty referenced head 17.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Marine Protected Areas Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: Yes. Would it be fair to say the MPAs will have different characteristics and different things we are trying to protect and that should inform the frequency or what would be involved in the management plan? We cannot just have a standardised management plan-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Marine Protected Areas Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: -----because each area would be unique and changing as well. That is helpful. I thank Mr. Fogarty. I will go to Ms Comiskey and then back to Ms Uí Bhroin.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Marine Protected Areas Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: I thank Ms Comiskey. We will come back to data collection, sharing data and standardisation.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Marine Protected Areas Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: We can ask and get clarity on that. Mr. Lyne wants to come in.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Marine Protected Areas Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: Are there designated cable routes at the moment? We have telecoms and power cables there. Perhaps WEI can advise.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Marine Protected Areas Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: Ms Comiskey wishes to come in.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Marine Protected Areas Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: We held off on covering enforcement until Deputy Ó Broin returned. I know it was a subject he covered earlier. We will also cover data collection. I have a final question on acoustic monitoring. It is more out of interest than trying to get it in the legislation. Is the acoustic monitoring constant 24-7? Is it sampling? Is it mobile or fixed?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Marine Protected Areas Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: I presume acoustic monitoring is a standard condition for any consent for wind farms. I know we have not done any here, but for abroad.