Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator. I listened to her comments but I refer again to the primary purpose of the legislation, which is consolidation. The amendments would add the word "living", as the Senator mentioned, to references in sections 15 and 19 to "non-living natural resources". My advice is this would not be possible as the purpose of the relevant provisions of these sections is to make it an offence to do something in connection with the economic exploitation and exploration of the non-living resources of the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf which, if done on land, would be an offence.

As the living resources of the exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf are sea creatures, their exploitation on land does not arise. In any event, the activities that the Senator wishes to capture via her amendments are already offences under the Sea-Fisheries Acts.