Results 7,321-7,340 of 9,814 for speaker:Steven Matthews

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Marine Protected Areas: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (30 Nov 2021)

Steven Matthews: In the committee's engagement with the Irish Environmental Network, IEN, it was noted that there is a lack of scientific data on our maritime area. Any development that takes place in the maritime area is going to be subjected to an environmental impact assessment, which will generate data. Does Mr. Cronin see that data-gathering aspect as part of development feeding into our science base...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Marine Protected Areas: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (30 Nov 2021)

Steven Matthews: Mr. Cronin mentioned Scotland and the UK as having good systems in place. They are also quite advanced in their offshore renewable energy development and, of course, have a history of oil development. Are there are marine protected areas that have turbines or oil rigs in them?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Marine Protected Areas: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (30 Nov 2021)

Steven Matthews: I would appreciate that, Mr. Cronin. Thank you. My time is up so I will move on. I apologise, Senator Cummins. I think you are present but I missed you on the screen. Do you wish to come in now? Senator Cummins might be having connection difficulties. I will move on to Senator Moynihan.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Marine Protected Areas: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (30 Nov 2021)

Steven Matthews: I see Senator Cummins is present but is having some difficulty connecting or getting his microphone to work. We are now into the second round. Deputy Ó Broin wanted to come back in.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Marine Protected Areas: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (30 Nov 2021)

Steven Matthews: I have the Deputy penned in for the third round already.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Marine Protected Areas: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (30 Nov 2021)

Steven Matthews: I know that Deputy Ó Broin wanted to ask more questions, but he has had to go to another meeting. He is due back in. I might ask Mr. Cronin a question. He said that in comparison, our marine environment is in fairly good condition. Does he take that as meaning that the entire marine area of 500,000 sq. km that is set out under the Maritime Jurisdiction Act 2021 is in good condition,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Marine Protected Areas: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (30 Nov 2021)

Steven Matthews: I thank Mr. Cronin. I read some other research on the issue which suggests that the installation of a number of turbine arrays can actually benefit biodiversity. Other research has shown that the installation of turbine arrays on that scale has resulted in reef growth or habitat protection. Is there evidence in the European area that has happened?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Marine Protected Areas: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (30 Nov 2021)

Steven Matthews: I thank Mr. Cronin. Much of the time talking about the Maritime Area Planning Bill was spent trying to compare back to terrestrial planning because we know about that, and this is somewhat new to us. If one has European designations such as special areas of conservation, SACs, or a special protection areas, SPAs, there are certain things one must do before one goes into the planning...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Marine Protected Areas: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (30 Nov 2021)

Steven Matthews: I thank Mr. Cronin for that answer. I have a further question on the data. We have a massive space and when one designates an SAC or SPA, it is because of a species or habitat that is present that one arrives at that point. Because of the vast area we have and the lack of science and data, or not enough data on many parts of it, will that present difficulty in our saying we think this...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Marine Protected Areas: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (30 Nov 2021)

Steven Matthews: I thank Mr. Cronin and I see Deputy Ó Broin wishes to come in. Does the Deputy wish to join for the third round now?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Marine Protected Areas: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (30 Nov 2021)

Steven Matthews: A few members have rejoined the meeting. Deputies Cian O'Callaghan, Gould and Boyd Barrett are offering and I plan to go in that order.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Marine Protected Areas: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (30 Nov 2021)

Steven Matthews: I was going to go to the members first but Deputy Boyd Barrett is like an honorary member at this stage.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Marine Protected Areas: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (30 Nov 2021)

Steven Matthews: I thank Mr. Cronin for his response. Deputy O'Callaghan raised a good point. When we carry out environmental impact assessments on land, we check certain things. There are clear guidelines on what is to be contained in an environmental impact assessment. Is there something we should also consider including in the marine space to stipulate what we want measured and the degree to which we...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Marine Protected Areas: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (30 Nov 2021)

Steven Matthews: I thank Mr. Cronin for that response. That is a belief to which we would all subscribe, namely, providing the maximum protection for our marine environment. I do not see any further hands up from the members in attendance. Mr. Cronin has undertaken to provide the committee with two items, one of which is the report on the distance to 30% for each country. Was that a European publication?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Marine Protected Areas: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (30 Nov 2021)

Steven Matthews: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Marine Protected Areas: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (30 Nov 2021)

Steven Matthews: The national marine planning framework is a really comprehensive document. It provides a lot of information for anybody looking for information on the marine space. At the time we were discussing the framework I made the point that it is the document to which I would direct people who want to find out about Ireland's marine area.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Marine Protected Areas: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (30 Nov 2021)

Steven Matthews: It is a good question. I had intended to invite Mr. Cronin to give us a synopsis on that so I will invite him to do so now.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Marine Protected Areas: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (30 Nov 2021)

Steven Matthews: I thank Mr. Cronin. I thank Dr. Ó Cadhla for his attendance, which has been very helpful for the committee. As I stated at the commencement of this meeting, the committee expressed a genuine keen interest in marine protected areas, the importance of designation and why we have to do it. The commitment in the programme for Government and the actions taken by the Department over the...

Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Second Stage (25 Nov 2021)

Steven Matthews: I welcome the Minister. The joint committee carried out extensive pre-legislative scrutiny on the Bill and produced a report, which it submitted to the Department. It got a response back on the recommendations, some of which were accepted, some of which were partially accepted and some of which were not accepted at all. The committee is willing to proceed to Committee Stage if time is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (25 Nov 2021)

Steven Matthews: 6. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons in County Wicklow who were in receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment but who have since returned to work in some capacity and are no longer in receipt of this payment or the jobseeker's allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57935/21]