Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

It is important to clarify that this amendment does not seek to delay the commencement of the Bill. It simply relates to certain sections of the Bill. It is a substantial Bill and a huge amount of work needs to be put in place, including entire new bodies that must be constructed and so forth in terms of the maritime area regulatory authority, MARA, and others. It is important to be clear that about two years of work could probably be done on the other sections of the Bill, without commencing. Section 17 is around the application and granting of maritime area consents, MACs. A huge amount of work could be done. This amendment relates to specific sections of the Bill and specific actions of bodies that are being established by the Bill. A two-year timeframe is being looked at for a review and that is a realistic pause to put on the grants. The infrastructure and mechanisms around the granting of MACs can be set in place. We should not then move to the point of granting them and then maybe six months later complete a review which might set out a different set of concerns. At that point the problem is that MACs would have been granted.

It is not the commencement of the Bill that is at issue but the commencement of a specific action under the Bill. Could the Minister address that? That is the crux of the matter. We should put in place the infrastructure and all the various aspects over the two-year period, while also conducting a review to ensure we have the best information feeding into those structures and processes that are being set up. Then we should move towards the issue of the granting of MACs. To my mind that seems to be sensible. The cart has been put before the horse a lot in this process. This maritime planning framework has been brought through at a time when Ireland was meant to have 10% marine protected areas last year and we are due to have 30% nine years from now. We are behind the curve in that. This is a good faith attempt to suggest that at least within this part of the process we would try to get the sequencing right so that it is more effective and so that better decisions are made.