Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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203. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment further to his commitments to the meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment and Climate Action of 1 February 2022 (details supplied), if the papers and policy initiatives indicated have been published; if not, the timeline for publication; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29005/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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In 2021, I set out and published the Inland Fisheries Roadmap to commence preparation of a revised overall policy statement across all aspects of the Inland Fisheries sector. I have appended this Roadmap for your information.Six themes were identified under which the overall policy statement was to be framed –- Conservation & Habitats;

- Protection;

- Access & Coaching;

- Species Specific Policy & Stock Management;

- Governance & Funding,

- Inland Fisheries Management Regimes.

A number of initial draft policy papers have been prepared within the broad themes and work is ongoing on further draft policy papers. These initial draft policy papers would characteristically reach across a number of the roadmap themes. Once the component draft policy papers are complete, they will be merged to constitute the single comprehensive draft policy statement.

It is expected that the draft policy statement will undergo a screening for Appropriate Assessment in terms of the EU Habitats Directive as well as other processes. Thereafter, I intend that it will be submitted for detailed public consultation later this year and I will be happy to immediately provide the Deputy with the draft policy statement as soon as it is finalised.