Oireachtas to Resume Scrutiny of Marine Protected Areas Bill

9th November 2026

Afloat.ie Team

Marine Protection Debate: The Oireachtas Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Committee resumes scrutiny of proposed marine protected areas legislation, with Fair Seas among the organisations giving evidence on Ireland's marine conservation commitments

The Joint Committee on Fisheries and Maritime Affairs will resume its pre-legislative scrutiny of legislation relating to marine protected areas on Tuesday, 10th November.

The Committee will discuss the Maritime Area Planning (Marine Protected Areas) (Amendment) Bill 2026 with stakeholders. As Afloat previously reported, Fair Seas has warned that designation alone will not ensure effective protection without management plans and enforceable conservation measures.

The meeting, at 11 am in Committee Room 2 of Leinster House, will hear from representatives of Fair Seas, Flossie and the Beach Cleaners, Wind Energy Ireland and Coalition 2030.

As Afloat reported in May, the committee has also examined international best practice in marine protected areas as part of its wider consideration of the issue. The joint committee, chaired by Sinn Féin TD Conor McGuinness, has 14 members, nine from the Dáil and five from the Seanad.

The meeting can be viewed live on Oireachtas TV. Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the Houses of the Oireachtas smartphone app, available for Apple and Android devices.

Published in Oireachtas, Marine Planning

Published in Oireachtas

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