Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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To add to the conversation about the newspaper circulation in the area, Donegal County Council has been pulled up by the European Commission for using the Donegal Democratfor public notices in the Inishowen area as it is a paper which does not circulate widely in the area. An assessment of newspaper circulation in the area should feed into any review process. It is one thing to say a newspaper is available in an area but a separate issue is whether it is widely circulated. Comparison wise, the Donegal Democratmight sell one copy in Buncrana whereas the Inishowen Independentor Inishowen Newssell hundreds of copies. That is just for the information of the committee.

In regard to the applications assessment programme, the fisheries division of the Department is responsible for the licensing of aquaculture as well as for the development and growth of aquaculture and fishing industries across the country. Does the Department see any potential conflict of interest between the fisheries division processing aquaculture licence applications and its role as a development body or policy-setting body for aquaculture within the State? At least two of the statutory consultees, BIM and the Marine Institute, are funded directly through the fisheries division as well. Is there a potential conflict of interest there in terms of their freedom to express views on aquaculture licensing?

As with all other planning processes, environmental impact statements are required to be completed in this context by the operators. I have yet to see an EIS which recommends that a development should not take place. I have a very strong sense that he who pays the piper calls the tune. If I commission somebody to do an EIS on my development, that EIS will come down favourably on my side. Is there merit in the idea that the Department should fund environmental impact statements rather than the applicants and charge applicants for that in the application process? It would be a far more robust system and more compliant with European law on aquaculture licensing.

Dr. Beamish said 25 bays had the appropriate assessments set for them and that 35 bays in total have to be done. Is that 35 bays which already have aquaculture? As I understand it, there are 90 Natura bays in the country all together which require appropriate assessments. I could be wrong. In regard to that process, there will be a need to update the data that has been gathered since 2008 and 2009 on the environmental measures within those Natura bays. Is there a process to go back and update that data and will it be an ongoing process into the future?

A number of determinations were made very recently in regard to Braade Strand in Gweedore Bay, County Donegal. Some nine licences covering over 100 acres of the bay have been determined. In my view, there is a need for a management plan for the bay to set out all the criteria. Does the Department simply accept continuously licence applications for a bay in a piecemeal fashion? Would it not be appropriate to prepare a strategic management plan for the bay highlighting appropriate areas for licensing rather than having a free-for-all process where anybody can apply for a licence within a bay? Is that not something that would figure in the management system as well?