Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy's first point was on a specific farm. I adjudicate on licences, etc., and, therefore, I am not in a position to deal with specific applications that may come before me. There has been a challenge in recent years in renewal and the issuing of licences for all types of aquaculture, shellfish and fin fish. There has been a significant backlog and there was a court decision a number of years ago that changed how licence applications would be assessed. That backlog has been pretty much dealt with for the shellfish applications and almost all of them have been decided upon, either favourably or with a refusal. The finfish applications require environmental impact assessment reports, of which I have received the vast majority. Therefore, that process is proceeding and we want to get all of those through the system. The focus at the start was on the shellfish applications because there was such a bulk of them. There are fewer applications in the area of finfish - 20 to 30 - but they take a lot more time and consideration and the input and information required from the applicants amounts to a much more cumbersome process. I want to ensure that all of those applications are expedited as promptly as possible so that the sector can have those finalised.

On closed loop aquaculture, I am not sure offhand if we did research on that before but we have to explore all opportunities. There is great space in aquaculture in the time ahead. Fish in general, including farmed fish, are efficient from a food conversion point of view. It is the most efficient protein meat you can have in terms of its efficiency for feed conversion. It has to be done in a way that is environmentally appropriate but any opportunity that is there, either land-based or sea-based, we have to look at how we can sustainably manage and develop it. I would be open to exploring that fully and I will get the Deputy a specific response on that.