Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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207. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the status of proposed legislation on marine protected areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35988/20]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Programme for Government - Our Shared Future - contains a commitment to develop comprehensive legislation for the identification, designation and management of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Irish waters. It contains a further commitment to realise Ireland's outstanding target of 10% MPA coverage as soon as is practical and to aim for 30% by 2030. These commitments will advance the implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, UN Sustainable Development Goal 14 and the National Biodiversity Action Plan (2017 - 2021), while supporting the principles and ambition of the EU Biodiversity Strategy.

As a key step forward in the Government’s delivery on these commitments an expert MPA Advisory Group, established in December 2019 by my Department, delivered its detailed final report to me on 22 October during EU Green Week 2020. This comprehensive body of work by the expert group includes independent advice and recommendations on the processes required and the challenges to be addressed in expanding Ireland’s MPA network, and on very important aspects such as legislation and governance, for example.

My Department is now considering in detail the final report of the MPA Advisory Group. I also intend to publish the report as part of an extensive public consultation which will begin in the coming months.

In line with the commitments in the Programme for Government as mentioned, my Department intends to begin developing legislation on the identification, designation and management of MPAs next year. This task will be informed and guided by our current detailed consideration of the expert group report and also by the extensive public consultation phase to come later this year and into next year.