Mr. Seamus Mac Eochaidh:

Cuireadh ceist faoi whether we got advice on the folios. The answer is "No" because we did not sell rights to Acadian Seaplants Limited. Arramara Teo did not and does not have any. D'iarradh orainn soiléiriú a thabhairt faoi cad is brí le "folio rights". Appendix No. 4 of the seaweed forum defines it well. It states: "As the great majority of the foreshore is State owned, permission to exploit the benefits of a natural foreshore resource such as seaweed, is for the State to give or withhold in accordance with the provisions of the Foreshore Acts 1933 - 1998." Those are now the 1933-2002 Acts. It continues:

In certain areas the transfer of title to tenants which occurred on the break-up of large private estates, may have included seaweed harvesting rights. In practical terms the validity of such rights would depend directly on the express provisions of the title documents. It is not considered, however, that the enjoyment of such rights would be extensive and/or would not constitute a major impediment to the harvesting of seaweed in coastal areas.

Sin is brí le "folio rights".
Tá sé tábhachtach go dtuigfimid at all times, the licensing regime refers to State-owned foreshore and nothing else. The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government's statement is worth contemplating. According to it, to comply with the Foreshore Act 1933 it is required to harvest seaweed from State-owned foreshore. The Minister, who determines all applications, is advised by the marine licence vetting committee following a detailed assessment of such applications. Mandatory public consultation is undertaken on all applications and any person may submit comments to the Department. The processing of foreshore applications is not time-bound. Applications, when accepted by the Department as being complete, are published on its website, etc.
Ba mhaith liom pointe tábhachtach a dhéanamh faoi na critéir gur chóir a úsáid i gcás ceadúnas. This is the "use it or lose it" clause. One must remember that the State owns the foreshore and the resources thereon. For the economic benefit of the coastal areas, it is important that these resources be exploited in a sustainable manner. If there is no regulation of licences, people can choose not to harvest, thereby blocking the harvesting of seaweed, which is in no one's interest bar a few individuals. There are two sides to this. Harvesters claim they should be given the right to harvest but large quantities of seaweed are not being harvested because people perceive the resource as theirs and do not want it harvested. If it is a State asset, the State has a duty to ensure it is sustainably used. Deputy Ó Cuív referred to the public good. This State asset should be used for the public good.