Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)

I welcome the amending legislation. It is more relevant for the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government to be in charge of the physical infrastructure around the coast and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to play a role in developing sea fishing, aquaculture and seafood products.

The acquisition of foreshore licences for projects around the coast has been the responsibility of various Departments, with the result that the process has been lengthy and tedious for organisations and individuals applying for licences. For example, a major development was proposed in County Kerry by Shannon LNG which wanted to locate its activities on the Tarbert land bank. The land bank was purchased approximately 30 years ago for industrial development purposes, but the prospects for attracting viable industry to the area were bleak until Shannon LNG made its proposal. From the date of application for a foreshore licence, it took two and three quarter years for the licence to be issued by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The irony is that there were no objections to the application. It is ridiculous to treat a long awaited viable proposition in this manner. For instance, the planning process through Kerry County Council and An Bord Pleanála took approximately six months, which puts the whole thing into perspective. The company would probably never have located in Kerry, or even in Ireland, if they envisaged that these impediments involving the foreshore licence would occur. Fortunately, the company persisted and against all the odds and obstacles, 400 people are to be employed over the next few years during construction, reaching up to 600 at its peak. This is a typical example of the lack of joined up thinking, where An Bord Pleanála and the local authority were expediting matters, while the Department was falling down and causing major obstacles.

In the first phase, an investment of €600 million will be made in the terminal, while the second project will see an investment of €400 million, and this €1 billion investment is much needed in the south west. It is a major coup for Kerry and Ireland, but due to the unnecessary impediments that were put in place and the bureaucracy involved, it could easily have been lost to the UK or some other EU country. We are very fortunate that it is proceeding.

The sensible thing is to have foreshore licence legislation amalgamated under the planning Acts, which would allow for a more straightforward and quicker procedure. I am aware of difficulties for Kerry County Council in acquiring foreshore licences, and the council had to endure long hold ups under the previous Administration. In many cases, some of the emergency work to be carried out by the council would not be of any great significance, and I am sure this applies to all other county councils along the coasts of our country. In the case of emergency works of a small nature that would be below the high water mark, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government should display flexibility on this in the future, allow county councils to carry them out and exempt such works from any planning requirements. This process would be much closer to the county councils if responsibility for these issues was moved to the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. There is a need for co-operation and close links between the Department and county councils.

Our new Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has a great interest in his portfolio. As we are talking about his responsibilities regarding aquaculture and sea fishing, I do not have to tell him the huge potential out there. At county council level along the coast, there is probably a need to set up the fisheries committees that were present before. They had a good function to work closely with the Department and I am sure the Minister will take note of that. There is also potential for the development of our food products on the coastline, as well as our fishing potential.

There is a number of designated harbours around the country, such as Dingle, Killybegs and Castletownbere, which are still under our portfolio. There is an ongoing matter regarding the ice plant in Dingle. There was a recent announcement that it will be retained for the short term and funded by Bord Iascaigh Mhara. The Minister should seriously consider taking this under his Department, provide the necessary funding and work with the local harbour board to ensure the future of a very necessary plant in Dingle.

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