Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 June 2013
777. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he has taken to date following on from the launch of the Harnessing our Ocean Wealth plan launched by the Government in July 2012 which planned to double the value of Ireland’s ocean wealth to 2.4% of GDP by 2030 and increase the turnover from our ocean economy to exceed €6.4bn by 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27115/13]
View answerIn recognition of the under-utilisation of our vast marine resource, the Inter-Departmental Marine Coordination Group (MCG), on behalf of the Government, developed Harnessing Our Ocean Wealth - An Integrated Marine Plan for Ireland. The Plan launched by the Government in July 2012, provides a fresh momentum for growth in the marine area and seeks to ensure Government departments work together more efficiently and effectively on the diverse issues related to the marine, enabling significant input and contributions from relevant stakeholder interests from both the public and private sectors.
Harnessing Our Ocean Wealth set out the Government’s Vision, High-Level Goals, and Key ‘Enabling’ Actions the Government will take to put in place the appropriate policy, governance and business climate to enable our marine potential to be realised. The Plan sets out 39 actions and an implementation model which includes a number of integrated Government delivery mechanisms aimed at supporting an integrated system of policy and programme planning for our marine affairs. The Plan also sets out a series of early actions that form the basis of a 2012–2014 Roadmap.
The inter-departmental Marine Coordination Group meets on a monthly basis to oversee the implementation of the plan, bringing together representatives of departments with an involvement in maritime/marine issues. The Group is chaired by myself as Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and convened/hosted by the Department of the Taoiseach.
The following Departments are represented;
- Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
- Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport
- Department of Communications, Energy & Natural Resources
- Department of Environment, Community and Local Government
- Department of Defence
- Department of Arts, Heritage & the Gaeltacht
- Department of Jobs, Enterprise & Innovation
- Department of Public Expenditure & Reform
- Department of the Taoiseach
The Attorney General’s Office and the CEO of the Marine Institute also participate. The group is augmented by a dedicated Maritime Affairs Attaché based in Brussels.
Since the launch in July 2012 substantial progress has been made on implementing the ‘early actions’ of Harnessing Our Ocean Wealth with key activities to date including:
- setting up of a dedicated Bureau in my Department (DAFM) to coordinate and support the implementation of the Plan;
- Quarterly reporting of short-term/ongoing actions across all relevant departments and associated agencies.
- Setting up of two targeted Task Forces:
- Enabler’s Task Force on Maritime Spatial Planning. A number of meetings held to-date, recommendations on a framework for MSP to be submitted to the Minister and the Marine Coordination Group Oct 2013; and
- Development Task Force. Department/agency and industry nominees are currently being finalised and will be announced shortly.
In order to accurately reflect the diverse and significant progress in terms of implementing the integrated marine plan, I am arranging for the publication in the near future of a Status Report on Implementing HOOW Early Ongoing Actions. It is anticipated currently that the status report will be published on the official ocean wealth website www.ouroceanwealth.ie.
