Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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541. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to provide an update on the Government’s commitment to having 30 percent of our oceans protected by 2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39579/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The Government remains committed to the target of achieving 30% of Ireland's maritime area being protected by 2030 in terms of at risk species, habitats or ecosystem services. Ecosystem services can be described as the benefits we derive from our marine environment.

At present, around 10% of our marine environment is protected under the Birds and Habitats Directives, designated as either special protection areas (SPAs) or special areas of conservation (SACs).

The forthcoming marine protected areas legislation will provide for marine protected areas to complement existing SACs and SPAs. It will allow us to protect threatened or endangered species and habitats, such as those listed under the OSPAR Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic's list of threatened and/or declining species and habitats and International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red Lists of threatened species, that are not otherwise included in annexes to the Birds and Habitats Directives. Furthermore, vital ecosystem services such as carbon sequestering or carbon-storing features or natural coastal protections against rising seas, for example, will also be afforded protection under this legislation.

The target of 30% protection of our marine environment will be achieved through a combination of designations under the Birds and Habitats Directives and under the forthcoming legislation for marine protected areas.

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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542. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to provide an update on the Marine Protected Areas Bill 2022; the reasons for delays; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39580/25]

Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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545. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the latest update on the Marine Protected Areas Bill 2022; when he expects the Bill to go before the Houses of the Oireachtas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38649/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 542 and 545 together.

The Marine Protected Areas Bill is at an advanced stage of drafting. It is intended to finalise this draft as soon as possible. However the Bill will need revision to reflect new Ministerial responsibilities and transfers of functions between Departments once these have taken place.

It should be noted that, in the context of this forthcoming transfer of the marine environment function from my Department to the Department of Climate Energy and the Environment, an exercise is being undertaken to explore how the Maritime Area Planning Act 2021 could be revised as an alternative approach, so that the overarching objectives of MPA Bill might be met through amendment of that Act.

A decision as to which is the optimal legislative approach will be taken shortly after the transfer of the marine environment function. This decision will be based on which approach will allow for the earliest designation of an ecologically coherent network of MPAs to enable Ireland to meet its target of 30% MPA coverage of our maritime area by 2030.