Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I take the Senator's point, absolutely.

I have already dealt with the area of judicial reviews and public participation, and I will go through that in more detail.Applications that are currently within the system, under the current foreshore arrangement in my Department, will continue there and will conclude there. It will be for new applications coming through.

It is important for our coastal communities and the country as a whole that they know they have a Government that is prioritising the maritime area and reversing the decrease in the richness of the biodiversity of our seas and oceans and they can see that we are serious about doing all that. We are going to have one streamlined regulatory authority to do that. We are going to do what all generations in this country want, which is to make sure we have the secure, sustainable, clean and green energy that we need. We do not have the luxury of waiting around and having continuous debate in that regard. That is why we must move forward to get MARA established. It will send a very clear signal to those who wish to invest in offshore renewables, be that offshore floating wind energy off the west coast, as mentioned by Senator Dooley, and the other options that will be there. It will be very clear where people need to go because the current process is complex and difficult to get through. It can be difficult for potential investors, in some instances, to figure out exactly what they need to do. Now it has been very well received that there will be a streamlined regulatory and planning system in place in Ireland. There is vast potential for this country to be a world leader in this space and I think that is what we all want.

In conclusion, I thank every Senator who contributed here. There were a number of other queries, which I will get to later in the week. I will supply additional information as best I can in advance of those debates. I thank everyone for their support for this legislation. I look forward to Committee and Remaining Stages later in the week.