Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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51. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the status of the marine planning and development management Bill. [41989/19]

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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Government approved a General Scheme of the Marine Planning and Development Management Bill in July 2019. Further policy work continues on the development of certain aspects of the proposed regime with a view to incorporating these elements once completed. My Department is engaging intensively with counterparts in the Department of Communications, Climate Action and the Environment who are leading the development of the provisions specific to Offshore Renewable Energy, to expedite the finalisation of the General Scheme in the coming weeks.

In addition to the policy development work, my Department is continuing to work with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel on the drafting process. The target timeframe for the publication of the Marine Planning and Development Management Bill, as set out in the Climate Action Plan to tackle Climate Breakdown, is Quarter 4 2019. The finalisation of the Bill will be subject to engagement with the Joint Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government in relation to pre-legislative scrutiny.

The Marine Planning and Development Management Bill will require further enabling measures post enactment to bring the new regime into operation including the necessary regulations, statutory guidelines and transitional arrangements.