Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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491. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will engage with inshore fishers, their representative organisations, and their producer organisations concerning the development of offshore renewable projects and their potential impact on their livelihoods; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13714/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has made significant advances in the development of marine policy over the last number of years, including the launch of the National Marine Planning Framework (NMPF) and the enactment of the Maritime Area Planning Act in 2021, elements of which have already been commenced. The NMPF creates an overarching framework for decision-making that is consistent, evidence-based and secures a sustainable future for all activities in the maritime area. It contains the objectives, policies and supporting actions which the Government considers necessary to support the effective management of marine activities and more sustainable use of our marine resources.

Public consultation, including consultation with fishermen and fishing organisations, was a key element throughout the development of the NMPF. Strong protections for the rights of the fishing community are enshrined in the legally binding NMPF Fisheries policies. These polices reflect the public consultation responses received from the fishing community during the development of the NMPF. Consequently, the NMPF includes a detailed section on fisheries (section 16) and a series of policies on fisheries, which will inform the assessment of all planning applications in the maritime area.

Furthermore, in response to some specific issues raised during these consultations, and in agreement with my colleagues the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications and the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, a Seafood/ORE Working Group was established in May 2022 to assist the managed introduction of the offshore renewables industry into the maritime area. Captain Robert McCabe was appointed as the independent Chairperson to the Working Group for a 2 year period in May 2022.

The initial aim of the group is to agree on a binding communications protocol between the Seafood and ORE sectors by April 2023. The relevant Government Departments have also outlined some longer term objectives for the group to consider once this initial aim has been met. These include;

(1) Identification of opportunities for mutually beneficial co-existence between the two sectors;

(2) Agreement on best practice measures to ensure harmonious and safe operations at sea; and

(3) Potential input to the development of Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan (OREDP2) and statutory Marine Planning Guidelines

The way in which Fisheries Policy 2 within the NMPF will be implemented will also be a subject for consideration at the Seafood/ORE Working Group, with the aim being that the group will provide expert guidance and support on the development of Fisheries Management and Mitigation Strategies as set out in the NMPF.

The inception meeting of the group took place on 20 July 2022, and was attended by 17 separate fisheries and aquaculture representative bodies, including inshore fisheries representatives and representatives of producer groups. The Working Group has continued to meet once a month since September, and all of those representative bodies continue to attend on a regular basis, which indicate a commendable commitment from the fisheries and aquaculture representatives. I understand that the group is currently negotiating on the communications and engagement aspects, and I remain optimistic that an agreement can be reached in this regard. The Chair will make recommendations on appropriate future arrangements for the working group, including the prioritisation of next issues to be discussed and resolved, consideration of the most relevant / suitable participants in each case, and the format and frequency of those engagements.