Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

The Social Democrats are very supportive of the principle of marine protected areas. As a former marine biologist, I am keenly interested and want to see that legislation progress as quickly as possible. It was first mooted by Government in 2019. The heads of the Bill were published in 2022. It is going quite slowly considering the potential impact and the biodiversity loss that we are seeing. Can the Minister give me an update on when he anticipates the Bill will be before the Dáil? It is important that it is passed before the next term.

See this speech in context