Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

I welcome the speedy introduction of this Bill by the Minister, which demonstrates a serious commitment on his behalf to ensuring the parts of the foreshore that are correctly the responsibility of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food will remain at that Department. It will bring clarity to the functions which are not the responsibility of that Department.

There are two elements to the Bill and because it has been introduced by the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, it is natural that we have tended to focus on the agriculture and aquaculture potential. We should also remember that the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government is probably a far more appropriate home for many of the other functions for the area, especially those relating to natural resources and energy.

One argument has been that the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources should bear some responsibility and it was argued earlier that many applications for non-agricultural activities, such as wind farms, would come forward. I do not have the same parochial interest in the Bill as some of the commentators but we do have potential for further wind farm development on the Arklow Banks. There is also the possibility of locating an additional interconnector at my constituency, if and when the time arises for it.

The Ceann Comhairle was Chairman of a committee in the previous Dáil dealing with energy security and climate change, and he led the initiative to develop a foreshore licence Bill that would transfer all the functions for foreshore licensing to the Department dealing with the environment. It was presented to the former Minister in the Department who showed little regard for it and commenced drafting another foreshore licensing Bill. The idea behind it was that a framework plan would be prepared for the zoning of the foreshore rather than the marine.

It was intended that the plan would identify the areas most suitable for wind farm and wave energy developments and the landing of the power onshore. When that process was completed, the intention was that any application would be seen as relating to critical infrastructure and forwarded straight to An Bord Pleanála. Therefore, it is appropriate that responsibility for these foreshore functions is being transferred to the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government which is responsible for An Bord Pleanála. There is huge potential. The greatest natural resource is available to us, onshore and offshore, for the supply of energy. I should acknowledge that the Minister was a member of the committee also. There is huge potential to generate far more energy than we will ever need. If interconnection proceeds, we will have the ability to offer a significant amount of wind and wave energy to the European grid.

I would like to speak about the functions being retained by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food under the Bill. As others said - it goes without saying - we have huge potential in the aquaculture sector. Every health nutritionist says we should be eating more fish because it is good for us. As a nation, we do not eat enough of it. The reality is that if everybody on the planet ate the appropriate amount of fish from natural fish resources, there would be no fish left in the sea. We would actually plunder the resource. The only alternative is to develop a fish farming or aquaculture industry. As mentioned, when Norway was in a state of economic depression, it decided to develop its aquaculture industry which now accounts for a significant part of its GDP, notwithstanding the fact that the country has extensive oil resources. We should examine the Norwegian model which operates in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner and adds value to all of its products.

Deputy McHugh mentioned that Irish oysters were sometimes labelled as French. Perhaps they are labelled as coming from Mediterranean areas of France, even though they come from the North Atlantic. This is replicated all over the place. The Deputy also spoke about one of the biggest problems we were facing in trying to market and process our fish products. Our scale of production is not big enough to allow us to offer Ireland to major suppliers as an attractive source of such products. I note that the Minister was in Clonakilty on Monday. Someone had managed to bring a significant number of French and Irish fisheries organisations together. They were in the same place at the same time and the building is still standing. It was an achievement to recognise that common good could result from landing more fish from off the Irish coast in Irish harbours for processing. The same can be said in the case of aquaculture.

A good job was done when the SACs were drawn up. Significant territories in harbours and inlets were designated as SACs. When one completes an SAC assessment before proceeding with an application for an aquaculture or fish farming licence, the problem is that one is not sure what the authorities were trying to conserve in the special areas designated for conservation purposes. This issue has to be addressed. The figures speak for themselves. Some 271 new applications are awaiting approval. I have been told no significant inroads in that regard will be made until 2014, at the earliest. I hope that, as a result of this Bill, the officials in the Minister's Department who specialise in this area will be able to concentrate on expediting these applications which need to be addressed urgently. There is huge potential to create jobs and add value which will help people in remote coastal areas in which there are few employment options other than moving away or emigrating. These scattered communities can survive if they receive support and industries of this nature are developed.

I do not doubt the commitment of the Minister to the marine and fisheries sector and wish him well in his endeavours. Other speakers have mentioned that bureaucracy has been a deterrent. It will continue to be, unless those Ministers and departmental officials in charge are willing to streamline the process. That has to be done because bureaucracy is a nightmare for those who do not have a steely determination to proceed with ventures in which they believe. It is clear when one looks at the length of the waiting list to have one's licence application expedited that solid determination is needed to bring such projects to fruition. A hands-on, proactive approach is needed. The officials in the Department who have the power to do this must realise that such industries need to be promoted. At the end of the day, their salaries are paid from the proceeds from these industries. That is the relationship we have to build and the understanding we have to create.

I commend the Bill which has been welcomed by Deputies on all sides of the House. I find that the simplest and most effective legislation is usually welcomed. I congratulate and commend the Minister for the introduction of this legislation. The fact that it will be enacted before the summer break is a statement of intent on his behalf. I commend the Bill to the House.

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