Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his update on the licensing review procedure. I have a number of questions on the process. I understand why it is taking such time to carry it out. There has been a backlog because testing had to be done. I said to the Minister's predecessor that I understood this was preparation for the roll-out of an EU-wide system of licensing. I was referring to this island being used as a kind of a testing model for an EU-wide body. Will the Minister explain and expand on that for the committee? It might have some implications for Scotland and other countries as well in respect of what can happen. Alternatively, is this only an Irish system and is it being forced on us by the EU because we have to go along with a more rigorous licensing regime?

The 300 a year or whatever number of applications that have been granted have been in for an awfully long time because of the testing regime. There has also been a big problem with the public. I refer to when a bay gets approval. Nothing will have happened with the licensing applications, some of them having been in for a number of years. All of a sudden, the public are informed these licences have been granted and they wonder where they came from and what is happening. The public are being left out as stakeholders in this process. That is leading to much conflict and difficulty. Whatever licensing regime is put in place has to be able to facilitate the public and allow them to have their role in it.

Is the Minister's Department the right body to be issuing the licences? It is integral for funding aquaculture as well licensing and everything else. I see from the Minister's overall response that the public does not get a mention or a look-in. That is regrettable because many of the issues that can be dealt with would involve the public as well. The Minister should be looking at the public as being a stakeholder as well. There should be a requirement that they be contacted and talked to.

On the updating of information, a substantial amount has been gathered over recent years from all of the different bays. It is important information but it will not be static forever. It has to be updated. Have systems been put in place to update that information? When these renewal applications come up, whenever the ten-year licences expire, that information is going to have to be new and fresh again. Are we going to end up in the same situation again when the new licenses are going to be reviewed? That is going to be important so there is going to have to be a system to update this information constantly. Will the Minister expand on that as well?