Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy told me BIM said there was no evidence to suggest there was any escapage of salmon but then she told me with certainty that 60,000 escaped. Those two things do not tally. I do not have any report of salmon escaping. I specifically asked whether there were any problems with the Clare Island site because it is in deep water. It is not quite in open water, because it has the shelter of a number of islands, but it is certainly a very large site. I was told there were no problems at all during the stormy weather. I am asking questions in this regard but I have not had any reports of significant, or any, escapage in Bantry Bay or anywhere else. However, I will follow up on it now that the Deputy has raised it.

The issue of grant aid for aquaculture is a problem. Given what I have just outlined, we do not have sanction to spend EU money on the development of aquaculture projects which do not have up-to-date licences in areas which are SACs, Natura 2000 areas, and that is a problem and a frustration which is making it impossible for us to give grant aid to a sector which I am sure would like to benefit from that. We are working through those issues. When those projects are fully licensed under the new system, then we will be able to do that and I look forward to being in a position to do so.

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