Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)

The importance of aquaculture to coastal communities where there is no alternative source of employment is very obvious. It is no small industry. It employs 1,835 people directly and up to 8,500 indirectly, with a turnover of some €210 million. It should be much greater than that. That is not the fault of the investors. I believe it is the fault of the system. Be it five years or ten, it takes far too long to secure a licence.

Mr. O'Sullivan mentioned, and I agree, that legislation needs to be put forward to implement and to underpin aquaculture by bringing together all of the existing legislation, be it primary, secondary or amended legislation. However big a job that is, it is not rocket science to be able to do that. We are trying to help people in the sector. We are here to learn of the pitfalls that can befall those who want to invest, because there is one advantage of aquaculture. The language of total allowable catches or quotas is not part of the language of people in the sector, and we must try to capitalise on this. Maybe I am wrong when I say this, but I think we learned a lot from Norway. In my own county, in the company Marine Harvest, the Norwegians were very involved and we have learned from them. We have the waters off our coast and the environment to attract investment. If we do anything as an outcome of this, let it be that we try to prevail upon the Minister. We are fortunate now that we have a designated Minister of State dealing with this because beforehand it was unclear whether it fell under agriculture, the marine or environment. We have to try to prevail upon him and the Government to do something to help. The delays are outlandish.

Do the witnesses favour a one-stop shop where licences could be submitted? Ms McManus made the point that planning applications normally take about seven or eight weeks and are either refused or accepted or further information is sought, which might delay it another six months. It was not the same but there is a good template at the moment. Previously, with An Bord Pleanála, applications could go on for years, whereas now the applications going to the new planning authority have to issue within a specified period. With new legislation, we have to insist that decisions should issue within a specified period, providing all the required information is supplied. If an application is made, it should not be accepted or validated until such time as all the information is there. That is not beyond the capabilities of those in the sector.

A lot of questions have been asked that I would have asked but I do not have to now. Reference was made to the improvement of infrastructure facilities. We raised this issue with the local authorities when we met last time and we have a tabular statement of works that are going on. I believe is a matter for the local authority or for the Department to provide the required infrastructure. I did not attend, but I am familiar with what happened in Limerick and in Cork. The Commissioner, Costas Kadis, was very supportive of this when he was there, but there is no point in him going to Limerick or to Cork and making supportive statements. It is like playing golf, there has to be a follow-through after they hit the first ball. Our job now is to ensure that we try to pursue this vigorously on behalf of the witnesses. They have enough to do to run their businesses, to invest and to try to make them sustainable. Those not making a profit will not survive.

We have been told that the national strategic plan for sustainable aquaculture development is progressing, with engagement with the strategic group. Is something happening there?

Perhaps Ms Bocquel or someone from BIM will address its human capacity development plan and the national aquaculture apprentices. Apprenticeships are very important. How is that progressing?

If the Minister grants a licence and it is appealed, am I right in saying that there is no statutory requirement on ALAB to furnish that? The old trick is to look for more information and that could go on and on, so I think if we are talking about having time limitations on applications there should also be a limitation on ALAB, providing all of the information has been submitted.

Those are my few questions, and there were other answers.

If I do not get in again, I will take the opportunity to wish the CEO of BIM, Ms Bocquel, who is moving on well. At least we have had an introduction to her here, and maybe we could work with her when she moves on to another role. I am not saying it is a promotion or demotion. To me, tourism is important. I wish her well when she moves on to her new post.