Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 31 Mar 1998

Vol. 489 No. 3

Written Answers. - Coastal Protection.

Trevor Sargent

Ceist:

20 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources if he will accept the recommendations from the coastwatch organisation to protect the coastal and marine environment by way of amendments to his Department's report on coast management by a consultant (details supplied). [8040/98]

Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources (Dr. Woods)

The discussion document and report on "Coastal Zone Management — a draft Policy for Ireland" were prepared by consultants Brady Shipman Martin, at the request of my Department and the Departments of the Environment and Local Government and Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, and published on 2 December 1997, for the purposes of simulating necessary public debate. The documents do not represent Government policy and have served their purpose. It is not proposed, therefore, to amend them for republication.

Almost one hundred written submissions, including one from Coastwatch, have been received in relation to those documents and a major public consultation seminar was held yesterday in Dublin to review the key issues raised in the documents and in the submissions. The outcome of that lengthy public consultation phase will be carefully considered by the Government, in the coming months, in deciding on the essentials of a national coastal zone management policy and implementation framework.