Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 July 2021
798. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will support the establishment of a statutory Galway Bay taskforce that can co-ordinate policies across local authorities, Departments and agencies to protect and preserve the ecology, coastline, and water quality of Galway Bay. [41374/21]
View answerA framework exists for the protection of Ireland's marine ecology, coastline and water quality through the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). It is overseen by my Department while the National MSFD Steering Group made up of my Department along with other Departments, agencies and representatives of civil society coordinates its implementation.
In tandem with this, Ireland's first National Marine Planning Framework (NMPF) was launched by an Taoiseach on 1 July 2021, and is Ireland’s first comprehensive marine spatial planning framework. The NMPF brings together all marine-based human activities for the first time, outlining the Government’s vision, objectives and marine planning policies for each marine activity.
My Department has no plans to establish a taskforce as referred to in the question outside these structures.
