7. (1) Subject to subsection (8), the Minister may, at any time, prepare and issue marine planning guidelines to public bodies regarding any of their functions under this Act and public bodies shall have regard to those guidelines in the performance of their respective functions.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), and for the purposes of that subsection, a public body, in having regard to the guidelines issued by the Minister under that subsection, shall consider the policies and objectives of the Minister contained in the guidelines when performing a function under this Act to which the guidelines relate.

(3) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), guidelines under that subsection may contain specific marine planning policy requirements with which public bodies shall, in the performance of their respective functions under this Act, comply.

(4) The Minister may amend or revoke guidelines issued under this section.

(5) The Minister shall cause a copy of any guidelines issued under this section and of any amendment or revocation of those guidelines to be laid before each House of the Oireachtas as soon as is practicable after the guidelines have been prepared or, as appropriate, the amendment or revocation has been made.

(6) A public body shall make available for inspection by members of the public any guidelines issued to it under this section.

(7) The Minister shall publish or cause to be published, in such manner as he or she considers appropriate, guidelines issued under this section.

(8) The Minister shall, in preparing guidelines under this section (including any amendment to such guidelines), have regard to the matters listed in section 6(5)(a) to (i).