Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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23. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the timeline for processing Maritime Area Consent applications in his Department currently; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55021/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Maritime Area Planning (MAP) Act 2021 provides the legal authority for the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to assess Maritime Area Consent (MAC) applications from a set of pre-qualified 'Phase One' offshore renewable energy projects. A significant milestone was reached this year, with the receipt of MAC applications from these Phase One projects. This followed the opening of an application window on 25 April for an 8-week period.

Upon receipt of MAC applications, applicants were assessed in key areas, including financial and technical competency, in order to ensure that only the most viable offshore projects can apply for permission from An Bord Pleanála. Following the completion of the application assessment, and as per Section 81 of the MAP Act, I issued “minded to” letters to all Phase One projects in September 2022. These letters set out my initial intention in respect of granting MACs to Phase One projects, and included draft MAC terms and conditions. Following the issuance of “minded to” decisions, applicants were given a three week period to submit any supplemental material for further consideration, before final MAC determinations are made. This supplemental material is currently being considered, and will inform the final decision to be made. Once a final decision is made to grant or not to grant a MAC, applicants will be notified and I will publish a notice as soon as practicable thereafter, as per Section 84 of the MAP Act.

Phase One projects which obtain a MAC will still be required to apply for all of the requisite consents and planning permission and will be subject to the full assessment procedures by our national planning regulator.