Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 April 2024
6. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications whether the delay in publishing the marine protected areas Bill will have consequences for the State’s ability to identify potential offshore energy locations; whether that, in turn, will undermine the State’s efforts to meet its renewable targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16794/24]
View answerThe Government is committed to achieving Ireland’s climate and renewable energy targets, including the objectives of the National Marine Planning Framework, in tandem with marine environment and biodiversity targets under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. This ecosystem-based approach will ensure that future developments in Ireland’s maritime area, including offshore renewable energy (ORE), will take place in a managed, plan-led, strategic, and sustainable way.
The timing of the publication of the Marine Protected Areas (MPA) Bill is not expected to adversely impact on future ORE development in Ireland. In this regard, my Department has worked closely with colleagues in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to enable the MPA and ORE processes to occur in parallel. As part of this, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage has commissioned two important environmental sensitivity analyses by the independent MPA Advisory Group to identify potentially suitable areas for MPAs in advance of the legislation's enactment. The Irish Sea study was completed and published last year, while the study of the Celtic Sea off southern Ireland is anticipated to be completed by early summer. By identifying features that need to be protected and spatial locations in which they occur, these studies help to provide confidence to the ORE sector and, at the same time, identify suitable areas within which MPAs could potentially be taken forward in the future.
