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

This was already addressed on Committee Stage in the Dáil. There is no requirement to conflate the marine spatial planning directive with the marine strategy framework directive in one piece of enabling legislation. Indeed, the most recent global international guide on maritime spatial planning prepared by UNESCO and the EU Commission and published this year reinforces the distinction between these two maritime governance tools.

Both directives will need to be provided for in the Statute Book. We know that and we are taking action in that regard. If we keep picking articles, we run the risk of leaving others out. The national marine planning framework is in line with the maritime spatial planning directive and all other maritime spatial plans and DMAPS must also be in line with the marine spatial planning directive. I take on board the points the Senator makes but I am confident that the Government has robust direction on this.

In terms of the consistency with the habitats directive methodology and anticipating the advance of marine protected areas, MPAs, it is the case in the expert group report that was led by Professor Tasman Crowe, and the public consultation that took place around that, and the legislation for marine protected areas, that we are confident, as I said previously about the interrelatedness of it and anticipating MPAs both in legislation and in their designation we are doing the right thing and that there are good checks and balances. That is a given in terms of the consultation with the Minister with responsibility for planning and development and the Minister with responsibility for heritage. Those checks and balances are in place across the Government regarding all of this. I am confident that we are taking the right direction and will be opposing the amendments.