Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I beg to differ with the Minister of State. The SEA made the point he quoted, but the public consultation in question amounted to four public meetings, one of which took place in a pub in the Dún Laoghaire area. The Minister of State describes that as full public consultation. The people who have come to the Visitors' Gallery today - fishermen and residents of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown - would find that an insult, because they believe public consultation should mean that information concerning all meetings will be published in every newspaper. The foreshore advertisement appeared in one daily newspaper and at two Garda stations in the area. This certainly did not amount to proper public consultation in accordance with the Aarhus Convention and the directives mentioned by the Minister of State.

The fishermen in the area are deeply concerned that explorative drilling will have an enormous effect on their livelihoods because the drill used crushes down into the floor of the bay and would have an impact on fish. Will the Minister of State make a commitment that when Providence makes an application for a licence to conduct a site survey or takes out a drilling licence he will have a proper consultation process in accordance with the Aarhus Convention? Will he also order a full EIA on the area?

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