Written Answers Nos. 747-766
747. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration when a decision will be reached in respect of a stamp 4 visa application (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72304/25]
View answerThe application referred to by the Deputy continues to be processed by my Department.
The Registration Office within Immigration Service Delivery of my Department provide a live processing date, which is updated every Monday, and is available at the following link: [https://www.irishimmigration.ie/registering-your-immigration-permission/how-to-renew-your-current-permission/renewing-your-registration-permission-if-you-live-in-the-republic-of-ireland/#processing]
They are currently processing applications submitted from 15 October 2025. In order to ensure a fair and equitable service, renewals are processed in order of date submitted.
If the application is approved, the person concerned can expect to receive their new Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card within the following 10-15 working days.
I can advise the Deputy that my Department has put in place arrangements for people awaiting a renewal of their IRP card who are travelling over the Christmas period. Details are available at link: [https://www.irishimmigration.ie/isd-announces-initiative-to-facilitate-customers-travelling-at-christmas-2/]
The person concerned can now directly check the status of their immigration application on the Immigration Service’s new Customer Service Portal. They can register for, or log in to their existing account, at [https://portal.irishimmigration.ie/en/].
As an Oireachtas member, you can also request the status of individual immigration cases by e-mail, using the Oireachtas Mail facility at: IMoireachtasmail@justice.ie, which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Question process.
748. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of Gardaí by rank attached to a unit (details supplied) as of 9 December 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72334/25]
View answer750. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of Gardaí, by rank attached to a unit (details supplied) as of 9 December 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72336/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 748 and 750 together.
The Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution and stationing of Garda personnel throughout the State under section 33 of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024. As Minister I have no role in these independent functions.
In the interest of transparency, An Garda Síochána publishes detailed breakdowns on the allocation of Gardaí including the allocation of Community Gardaí by Division. This information is updated on a monthly basis and can be found at the following link:
I am advised by the Garda authorities that as of 31 October 2025, the latest date for when figures are available, there were nine Community Gardaí allocated to Coolock Station, including one Sergeant, and 12 Community Gardaí allocated to Clontarf Station, which includes two Sergeants.
749. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of Gardaí by rank attached to a unit (details supplied) as of 9 December 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72335/25]
View answerI have requested the information sought by the Deputy but it was not received in time. I will contact the Deputy directly once the information is to hand.
751. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the annual number of Gardaí for the past three years in north County Dublin, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72358/25]
View answerThe Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána under Section 33 of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024, which includes the distribution and stationing of Garda personnel throughout the State.
In the interest of transparency, An Garda Síochána publishes information in relation to the allocation of Gardaí nationally. This includes a breakdown of Gardaí assigned to Garda stations in the Dublin Metropolitan Region North Division. This can be found at the following link:
The Deputy should select the most recently available date and then select the file titled ‘Garda Members by division district station to the most recent date" to access a breakdown of Garda members.
752. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of Garda mountain bikes attached to each Garda district within Kildare-Carlow division; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72396/25]
View answerI am informed by the Garda authorities that following the implementation of the Garda Operating Model in August 2025, the Kildare/Carlow Division no longer operates on a District model and is now organised into Functional Areas.
Under this model, Divisions are organised into four functional areas – Community Engagement, Crime, Business Services and Performance Assurance.
The number of Garda mountain bikes in each Community Engagement Functional Area is set out in the table below:
|
Community Engagement Functional Area |
Number of mountain bikes |
|
Kildare North |
8 |
|
Kildare South |
12 |
|
Carlow |
5 |
|
Total |
25 |
753. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration his plans to progress legislation to ensure that the victim of a crime of sexual violence can have a civil protection order granted against a person who has been convicted of that crime. [72413/25]
View answerSafeguarding our communities is a priority for me as Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration. I can assure the Deputy that there are a range of provisions in law and in practice in relation to the management of sex offenders after they have been released from prison.
The Sex Offenders (Amendment) Act 2023 strengthened our already robust system for the monitoring of sex offenders and provides for changes to the notification requirements for sex offenders, including a reduction of the notification period from seven to three days. A person convicted of an offence set out in the schedule of the Sex Offenders Act 2001 now has to notify An Garda Síochána –
• of their name and address within three days of leaving prison;
• of any change to their name or address within three days;
• if they are going to be outside the State for more than three days;
• if they are returning to the State having been outside it for three days;
• if they are at an address in the State for three days and that address has not been notified to the Gardaí;
• or every 12 months if they had not notified within the previous 12 months.
Other provisions include providing powers to the Gardaí to take fingerprints, palm-prints and photographs to confirm the identity of the person. The 2023 Act strengthens the management and monitoring of sex offenders in the community. It provides for electronic tagging and that a Court can explicitly prohibit a convicted sex offender from working with children or vulnerable people.
Where An Garda Síochána believe that a convicted offender poses a serious and imminent risk to the public, an application can also be made to the courts for a Sex Offender Order, under section 16 of the 2001 Act. A Sex Offender Order can prohibit the offender from doing anything the Court considers necessary, in order to ensure that the public is protected from serious harm. The Act also provides that a Court can impose conditions on a convicted sex offender as part of their post-release supervision, where a judge has included this as part of sentencing.
In addition, Sex Offender Risk Assessment and Management (SORAM) operates to support enhanced levels of co-operation and co-ordination between key statutory organisations involved in managing the risk posed to the community by convicted sex offenders and safeguarding the welfare of children. The Garda National Protective Services Bureau has a dedicated unit, the Sex Offender Management and Intelligence Unit, which has oversight and monitoring responsibility at national level for the management of registered sex offenders who are subject to notification requirements.
Our legal system also provides protection orders in the context of domestic violence, which in many respects covers sexual offences. Under section 10 of the Domestic Violence Act, there is a provision for the granting of protection orders. Similar to a safety order, it restrains a person, meaning the respondent is ordered not to use violence, threats, or molestations, thereby ensuring protection for the victim.
In relation to Part 5 civil orders under the Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2023, while they are not specifically designed to address sexual violence, their applicability depends on the facts of each individual case. In principle, a victim of a sexual offence could apply for a part 5 civil order if the offender’s conduct could reasonably be considered likely to:
• cause the applicant to fear that violence will be used against the applicant or person; or
• serious alarm or distress that has a substantial adverse impact on his or her usual day-to-day activities.
Any legislation to introduce protection orders for victims of sexual abuse may have potential overlaps with existing mechanisms that would need to be fully explored to ensure that the proposed measure is necessary, proportionate, and compatible with established statutory frameworks.
While there are currently no plans to extend the range of persons who can apply for safety and protection orders, I would like to assure the Deputy that all civil and criminal legislation is kept under review and I will consider any changes necessary to ensure it remains effective, proportionate, and fully compliant with due process and the Constitution.
754. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration her views on a case (details supplied) regarding citizenship applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72432/25]
View answerLast month Minister O’Callaghan and I secured Government approval to introduce new policies and legislative changes to strengthen Ireland’s migration and asylum system to ensure it is rules-based, efficient and more aligned with EU Member States.
As part of this, there are plans to make a number of changes to the rules on the granting of citizenship, one of which relates to the residency requirements of a person granted international protection to be granted citizenship, which came into effect on 8 December 2025.
Previously, individuals granted international protection status could apply for citizenship after a time period of three years. Effective from 8 December 2025 people granted international protection will generally be required to have five years of reckonable residence in the State before they can apply for citizenship.
Applications for citizenship received before 8 December 2025 will continue to be processed under the previous three year rule, while applications submitted on or after that date will be assessed in line with the new five year residency requirement. This change brings citizenship applicants with international protection status in line with most other citizenship applicants.
It is important to note that applications for naturalisation are not prioritised on the basis of an applicant's length of residence in the State. Rather, applications are processed in the order in which they are received.
All applications for a certificate of naturalisation are assessed individually based on the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended.
Detailed information on how to apply for naturalisation and other resources is available on my Department’s Immigration website here: www.irishimmigration.ie/how-to-become-a-citizen/ .
I want to clarify for the Deputy that International Protection applicants are not eligible to apply for naturalisation. Only individuals who have been granted an International Protection declaration and who have accrued the required period of reckonable residence in the State can be considered for Irish citizenship. I would further note that there has been no change in this regard. The recent policy change relates solely to the length of reckonable residence time.
755. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the key measures taken to improve community safety during 2025; his priorities for 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72467/25]
View answerThis Government is committed to the principle that everyone, wherever they live in Ireland, should feel safe and be safe. Building safe and secure communities across the country by investing in An Garda Síochána is a top priority for this Government. I want every part of the country to be a safe space for people to live and work in.
A visible Garda presence is important to deter and detect crime and to help people feel safe in communities. The unprecedented allocation of over €2.59 billion in Budget 2026 demonstrates our commitment to ensuring An Garda Síochána has provision for the equipment, technology, facilities, fleet and personnel it needs to carry out vital policing work.
This increase will allow for the recruitment of up to 1,000 new Gardaí, 200 more Garda staff and a doubling of the Garda Reserve to over 600 next year. An additional 392,000 overtime hours will meet the sustained demand for a visible and responsive policing presence.
Community safety is not solely the responsibility of the police, it requires a whole of government approach.
The Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024, which I commenced on Wednesday 2 April, provides for the establishment of Local Community Safety Partnerships within each local authority area. The regulations for these Safety Partnerships came into operation on Monday 30 June. 36 Partnerships are in the process of being established in local authority areas across the country. To date I have appointed members to 32 Local Community Safety Partnerships and I expect to be making further appointments in the near future.
These Local Community Safety Partnerships (LCSP) represent a significant step towards a more collaborative, responsive, and locally driven model of public safety. They will bring together a broad range of relevant stakeholders to address community safety issues in their area which will include residents, local councillors, community representatives business and education representatives, and a range of public services including the HSE, Tusla, An Garda Síochána and the local authority. A core part of their work will be to draft a Community Safety Plan tailored to the community's needs.
On 17 September, Minister Niall Collins launched the Rural Safety Plan 2025-27.
The Rural Safety Plan 2025-27 has been developed by the National Rural Safety Forum in conjunction with my Department.
The Plan's vision is to continue to build safe communities across rural Ireland. Achieving this vision requires a multi-agency, collaborative approach, including everything from having more visible Gardaí in the community to providing safe public spaces and amenities.
The Government is also committed to tackling the scourge of anti-social behaviour and crime to build safer streets and stronger communities through a number of ongoing measures, including:
• Getting more Gardaí on our streets through increased recruitment;
• Continued expansion of youth justice and youth diversion measures;
• New laws which criminalise the grooming of children into a life of crime;
• The deployment of body-worn cameras, with nationwide roll-out to follow the current pilot project;
• Over €4 million allocated to 42 projects through the Community Safety Fund, which re-invests the proceeds of crime into local community projects.
• The Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) (Amendment) Bill 2025 will allow for the use of biometric recognition technologies as a tool to process evidence in serious criminal investigations, matters relating to State security, and for missing persons cases. This technology will assist Gardaí in solving serious crimes, while also freeing up Garda time, ultimately allowing for increased garda presence in our communities.
In 2026, I look forward building on the progress made to date and in particular the implementation of tailored Community Safety Plans agreed by LCSPs and of the rural safety plan, both of which will respond to the needs of communities nationwide. The allocation of additional Gardai across all Garda Divisions in 2026 will continue to support the rollout of high visibility policing. Furthermore, I look forward to progressing key pieces of legislation to support the An Garda Síochána in their investigations and the administration of justice.
756. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if minors applying for international protection found to have lied about their age to gain some perceived or actual advantage are immediately refused asylum and subsequently deported; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72478/25]
View answer757. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of minors applying for international protection who lied about their age to gain some perceived or actual advantage who were refused asylum and subsequently deported; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72479/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 756 and 757 together.
I am fully committed to ensuring that Ireland’s International Protection system is robust, and rules based, and that our borders are protected.
The State is required to examine the application of anyone who presents at the borders of the State, or is in the State, and indicates that they wish to make an application for international protection.
When an applicant presents as an unaccompanied minor, the International Protection Office (IPO) refers the individual to Tusla. It assesses the individual’s needs and eligibility for Tusla services and will also decide whether to make an application for international protection on their behalf.
In those cases where Tusla determine that the person is not eligible for services because they are judged to be an adult, the applicant is referred back to the IPO who will process their application and determine if the applicant has a well-founded fear of persecution or is at risk of serious harm in their country of origin, in accordance with the provisions of the International Protection Act.
Separate statistics are not available on the outcome of such cases.
Regarding information provided by applicants: a key focus in the training, supervision and quality assurance of our process is in assessing the credibility of an individual application, including information they have supplied concerning their identity.
Ireland has opted in to the EU Asylum and Migration Pact which is due to enter operation in June 2026. The Pact will provide a fair, sustainable and efficient asylum procedure. This will be achieved through convergence in asylum practices across the EU. The General Scheme of a new International Protection Bill to give effect to the measures of the Pact was approved by Government on 29 April 2025.
Legislative and operational arrangements for the assessment of age are to be revised under this legislation and as part of implementing the Pact. The Bill will propose that the determining authority – the replacement for the International Protection Office - will arrange and be responsible for the management of age assessments. The new legislation also will set out in far greater detail how age is to be assessed and provide for regulations governing the standards, qualifications of personnel and so on for the purposes of that process.
The Department works closely with Tusla in relation to all matters concerning minors, and is engaging with Tusla to design the new mechanism envisaged under the proposed legislation.
758. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of applications received from companies offering premises they owned or controlled as IPAS centres in Dublin 8, 10 or 12 for each of the past 5 years; and the number which were subsequently contracted by his Department to operate as such; and the length of such contracts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72480/25]
View answerThe Department is examining its records with a view to responding to the Deputy's query and will issue a further response as soon as possible.
759. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether the financial contribution Ireland is due to make under the EU Migration and Asylum Pact’s solidarity mechanism will have any effect on the volume of international protection applicants entering the State from the United Kingdom via Northern Ireland, given that the United Kingdom is not a participant in the Pact; to outline any assessment her Department has carried out on the expected impact of this contribution on secondary movements from the UK; and to set out the actions, her Department is taking at EU level to address the disproportionate inflow originating from outside the Pact’s legal framework. [72523/25]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware Ireland has opted in to the EU Asylum and Migration Pact which is due to enter operation in June 2026. The Pact will provide a fair, sustainable and efficient asylum procedure. This will be achieved through convergence in asylum practices across the EU.
The EU Migration and Asylum Pact has been designed to enhance the Common European Asylum System and that is based on solidarity, responsibility, and respect for human rights.
My Department continues to focus on preparing for the implementation of the Pact in advance of June 2026.
On 11 November, the Commission published the first European Annual Asylum and Migration Report, the Commission Implementing Decision on Migratory Pressure, and a proposal for a Council Implementing Decision on the Annual Solidarity Pool which make up the first Annual Migration Management Cycle.
Under the solidarity mechanism Member States will contribute to a Solidarity Pool on the basis of a proportional “fair share” principle (based on the formula 50% population and 50% GDP). It is very important to clarify that the “fair share” contribution for Ireland would apply to the solidarity pool to be established, not to the total number of asylum applications across the EU.
Member States will have discretion on the type of solidarity they contribute. This can take the form of relocations, financial contributions or alternative solidarity measures such as deployment of personnel.
I have decided that Ireland will not be accepting relocations given the pressures on our system but will make a financial contribution to support the EU Member States under the most extreme pressure.
In the Commission Implementing Decision on Migratory Pressure, Ireland was deemed to be ‘At Risk of Migratory Pressure’ and will have priority access to the EU Migration Support Toolbox. The Commission's assessment that Ireland is at risk of migratory pressure is in recognition of the fact that a significant proportion of international protection applicants enter the country arriving across the land border with Northern Ireland, together with the significant arrivals of persons benefitting from temporary protection.
The EU Migration Support toolbox offers tailor-made support to Member States including operational and technical support by EU bodies, offices and agencies; financial support and support to facilitate return and reintegration activities.
760. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration his views on the length of time it is taking to process, in particular, Pakistani naturalisation applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72525/25]
View answerThe naturalisation application processing times of individual nationalities are not recorded by my Department. That said, I understand that extended wait times can be frustrating for applicants. I want to assure anyone who has an application for naturalisation submitted that my Department is doing everything possible to progress applications as quickly as possible.
It is important to note, however, that no two naturalisation applications are the same and some take longer than others to process. Given the importance of citizenship, robust and comprehensive checks must take place on each application. Unfortunately, some checks, such as international checks, can take a considerable amount of time and these are largely outside the control of the Immigration Service.
For that reason, while I expect that going forward, most applicants will receive a decision within one year, this cannot be guaranteed in the case of applications made in any specific year.
Citizenship Division have taken a significant number of steps to improve the process for applicants. These include introducing an online digital application, online payments, and eVetting. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that these changes are reducing processing times.
Applicants can now directly check the status of their immigration application on the Immigration Service’s Customer Service Portal. They can register for, or log in to their existing account, at: https://portal.irishimmigration.ie/en/
As an Oireachtas member, you can also request the status of individual immigration cases by e-mail, using the Oireachtas Mail facility at: IMoireachtasmail@justice.ie, which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Question process.
761. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the statutory provisions under which his Department and An Garda Síochána currently process and hold information relating to nationality and immigration status in respect of persons who have been convicted of criminal offences; the datasets in which such information forms part of his Department’s policy or statistical work; and the governance framework that applies to the extraction, use and anonymisation of these data for criminal justice analysis and reporting. [72556/25]
View answer762. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the last occasion on which his Department requested or received anonymised conviction related statistical information that included nationality or immigration status fields; the stated policy purpose for which the data were sought; the format in which the data were provided; and the procedures in place to assure his Department that such datasets complied with data protection requirements before being used to inform policy. [72557/25]
View answer763. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if his Department has assessed the administrative and governance arrangements required to support an annual statutory report on the nationality and immigration status of persons convicted of offences in the State; the internal analysis carried out to date regarding feasibility, data standards, anonymisation requirements and ministerial oversight, and if he will provide details of any options appraisals or internal assessments undertaken in this area. [72558/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 761, 762 and 763 together.
I propose to take PQs 761 , 762 and 763 together.
It is a central priority for me as Minister that our immigration laws are robust and enforced. The removal of people in the immigration system who are involved in criminality or who are a danger to society is an essential requirement for the system to work effectively and to ensure that the public have confidence in the application of our laws in this area.
Any person granted an immigration permission can have that permission revoked if they fail to obey the laws of the State or become involved in criminal activity.
My officials work closely with members of An Garda Síochána and the Irish Prison Service to ensure high risk persons are prioritised for removal from Ireland and this takes place on an ongoing basis.
Insofar as the collection of data is concerned, the Irish Prison Service publishes annual statistics on the number of people committed to prison by nationality. This data is available on the IPS website.
Separately, my Department is currently finalising proposals to introduce a unique identifier, linked to the PPSN, for use in the criminal justice system. The use of a single identifier, as well as improving administrative efficiency, will assist in research and policy development by the Department and will allow the Central Statistics Office to provide greater statistical analysis in relation to all aspects of the criminal justice system.
764. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he will consider matters raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72562/25]
View answerI can inform the Deputy that if a non-EEA national who holds a Critical Skills Employment Permit or a General Employment Permit is made redundant, they must inform the Department of Enterprise Tourism and Employment (DETE) within four weeks of this redundancy, and subsequently have six months to secure new employment. DETE operate the Reactivation Employment Permit scheme for such individuals.
Matters relating to employment permits do not fall within the remit of my Department and are a matter for the DETE. Further information on employment permit and the Reactivation Employment Permit scheme is available at the following link: https://enterprise.gov.ie/en/what-we-do/workplace-and-skills/employment-permits/permit-types/reactivation-employment-permit/
The role of my Department is to grant eligible people in this situation, who have previously legally worked in the State, a permission to remain so they can submit an application to DETE for a Reactivation Employment Permit.
Further information is available on my Department's Immigration Service website here: www.irishimmigration.ie/my-situation-has-changed-since-i-arrived-in-ireland/reactivation-employment-permit-scheme/
I can inform the Deputy that my Department has received an Extension of Work Permit Conditions (EWPC) application from the person cited, which continues to be processed.
It is important to note that no two applications are the same and some take longer than others to process. Each EWPC application is evaluated individually and the time taken to process an application varies based on a number of factors such as the number of applications on hand, the complexity of the case and the quality of the application received.
Applicants can now directly check the status of their immigration application on the Immigration Service’s Customer Service Portal. They can register for, or log in to their existing account, at: https://portal.irishimmigration.ie/en/
As an Oireachtas member, you can also request the status of individual immigration cases by e-mail, using the Oireachtas Mail facility at: IMoireachtasmail@justice.ie, which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Question process.
765. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for an update on removing bottom trawling in Ireland’s existing marine Natura 2000 sites as stipulated in the “EU Action Plan: Protecting and restoring marine ecosystems for sustainable and resilient fisheries” 2023 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [71459/25]
View answer766. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide clarity on a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [71460/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 765 and 766 together.
It is important to note that Natura 2000 sites can include a variety of habitats and species, each with varying sensitivities, and in respect of introducing measures to manage sea-fisheries, regard must be had to the specific conservation objectives set out for each habitat and species within those sites. I remain very aware of the importance of the Irish fishing industry operating in a sustainable manner so as to protect and maintain such habitats within Natura 2000 sites and for the quality of our marine environment generally which is vital to the sustainability of the fishing sector.
In February 2023, the European Commission published its assessment on the functioning of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) along with a package of measures to improve the sustainability and resilience of the fisheries and aquaculture sector. This package included the Marine Action Plan which proposes the use of more selective fishing gears and practices to prevent incidental bycatches of sensitive species and gradually phasing out bottom fishing in all Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) by 2030.
I fully support the focus the plan places on working with fishers to develop fishing gears and measures to rebuild fish stocks and protect sensitive species. I wholeheartedly encourage engagement with fishers to make use of their knowledge and experience to identify and introduce environmentally friendly fishing gears and measures that help protect fish stocks and minimise by-catches of other species.
I support the introduction of management measures to achieve the conservation objectives set for MPAs including, where justified, limiting mobile bottom fishing including bottom trawling. I do not, however, support a blanket ban on mobile bottom fishing in all MPAs as there is no objective basis for this type of approach.
Legislation is currently being drafted by the Department of Climate, Energy and Environment (DCEE) to provide a legal basis for the designation and effective management of MPAs and my Department is providing input in respect of relevant seafood related matters.
