Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

If I can return to this issue because it is very important. It seems to be very black and white that a licence would be issued on BIM's recommendation. Can Mr. Maguire explain why, in four years of this Government, not one salmon licence - either a renewal or a new licence - has been granted by the Department? If it is as black and white as Mr. Maguire says, why has the Department not been granting licences? What representations has BIM made to the Department to speed up that process for all the people - not just for one fish farm - who have been delayed?

Mr. Maguire is correct in that it is not illegal to continue farming with an expired licence. However, that does not mean that the operator has a licence. Will Mr. Maguire confirm that the fact of the situation is that a large number of finfish farms are legally fishing but do not have a current licence because the licence has expired? Can Mr. Maguire confirm that BIM is waiting for the Department to say "Yes" or "No"? Does this not cause significant concern and uncertainty for the operator because the answer might be "No" instead of "Yes"? It amazes me that even in the simplest cases of renewal of old licences it is impossible to get a decision. There is something rotten in the state of Denmark in this situation. The Department is the regulatory body but it cannot make up its mind even on a simple case, never mind making up its mind on the Galway case.