Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)

I am pleased to have an opportunity to speak on the Bill, principally because of my first-hand experience of a number of recent applications for foreshore licences and how complex and cumbersome a process it is to get such a licence. In the case of one application for a major project, there are local and national implications. It is important to ensure licences are legally correct but, at the same time, there should be a process of a general freeflow in assessing and dealing with licences. Applicants should have ready access to people in the Department on a daily basis if it is a project of national importance. The problem is that given the human and technical resources in the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, which had responsibility, this may not be possible. However, when we are so hungry for any positive developments in this country, particularly if they could be the catalysts for other developments, there should be no barriers to achieving those licences, particularly where no contentious issues arise and in areas where a number of industries already exist and where they would not interfere with the environment. For that reason I am glad to speak on the Bill and, having had that recent experience, to state that there is a need for it provided that it speeds up the process, will provide the expertise to assess applications for foreshore licences and will not create a big backlog at the end of a few years.

As previous speakers stated, it is critical that there should be consolidation and streamlining of the Foreshore Acts. This is long overdue. The Joint Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security addressed this matter and has provided a Bill that if implemented could resolve some of the issues I have raised. The committee seems to be one of the better committees of the Houses and has made some very good proposals on climate change and on this Bill, which deals with energy security. A large number of energy projects seem to be held up because of foreshore licence difficulties and the committee saw the need for legislation. I suggest to the officials here today that they might influence the Minister to take the committee's Bill seriously and accept it if it is introduced in Private Members' time.

As previous speakers stated, the modernisation to which I referred is not contained in the Bill; it contains a shift of responsibility and transfer of certain functions from one Department to another and the jury is certainly out on how effective it will be. One of the reasons there is such a demand for a better system is because an amount of €16 billion in potential investments in energy generating projects has been mentioned and at a time when we are crying out for development in this country, this should not be allowed to continue to happen. I am convinced there is considerable potential for offshore wind or ocean energy development. It may not be the panacea for all of our problems but potential exists.

The transfer of powers between various Departments will not remove the requirement for a new foreshore licence and process to be developed, as the current arrangements do not include any evaluation criteria with which to evaluate multiple applications for the same site. Perhaps the officials might deal with the issue of multiple applications for the same site. Will the Bill help in this respect? It is not clear what the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government will do with existing applications for foreshore licences. Will the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government evaluate licences that exist but have not been evaluated or will it seek new applications when it has established its own evaluation process? A new evaluation process will not be established until completion of the strategic environmental assessment, SEA. While the SEA has commenced, it is not due for completion until the end of 2010. Hence, an authority is not expected to emerge until 2011 and a process to award licences is likely to be lengthy, as evidenced recently in Scotland where a project was launched in September 2008 but is not due to be completed until 2010, 18 months later.

Will what is being put in place expedite foreshore licence issues? I am aware of two licences in Kerry for experimentation with wave energy which presents a number of opportunities for the country. Tidal energy is very much concentrated in the north-eastern part of the country whereas the western seaboard is very suitable for wave energy. A company is seeking foreshore licences for two sites but the process is being delayed. I am concerned that the companies could move elsewhere or that we might lose the opportunity if there was a change of emphasis. We might never realise the potential we have. It is hoped that the new arrangements to be put in place following the transfer of responsibilities that the Bill will put in place will help to expedite those licences.

Deputy Sheehan, for whom aquaculture is a big issue, will speak next but before he does I will tell the Minister of State that it is very important that we take this issue very seriously. The potential of our shoreline is considerable. At a time when we seek other possibilities and when the people entrusted with coming up with new ideas for job creation are not coming up with too many, there are ideas for our shoreline and oceans. This is an area of opportunity, as outlined by Deputy Coveney in his new era policy. Without facilitating these projects by expediting foreshore licences, we might lose this opportunity.

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