Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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172. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if Ireland is a party to the International Seabed Authority (ISA); if so, his views on draft regulations on the matter of deep sea mining; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15044/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Ireland, along with other parties to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the European Union, is a member of the International Seabed Authority (ISA).

As set out in the Government’s Policy Statement on Mineral Exploration and Mining, published in December 2022, Ireland supports the ISA’s mandate, which includes ensure that the effective protection of the marine environment from harmful effects that might arise from deep sea mining and related activities.

Given the transboundary nature of marine environmental impacts, any seabed mining that may occur close to our maritime area may have adverse consequences in Ireland’s waters. Therefore, the regulations and procedures being developed by ISA to prevent, reduce and control pollution, loss of biodiversity and other hazards as a result of mining in the marine environment are followed closely.