Written answers
Thursday, 9 November 2023
Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government
Marine Protected Areas
Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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226. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government what consideration his Department is giving to further marine protected areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33502/23]
Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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The Government is committed to achieving 30% Marine Protected Area (MPA) coverage of Ireland's Maritime Area by 2030, in line with the Programme for Government, the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, and a number of International initiatives such as the UN post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.
My Department has been working in close collaboration with parliamentary drafters over the past several months to develop the Marine Protected Areas Bill and I anticipate that the Bill will be ready for publication early in 2024.
This proposed legislation will provide us with the tool to achieve this while, along with the Maritime Area Planning Act, ensuring sustainable use of the sea.
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