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

Six aquaculture licence applications are awaiting determination in Ballycotton Bay, which is designated as a special protection area - a Natura 2000 site - under the EU birds directive. The European Court of Justice declared in case C418/04 that by failing to take all the measures necessary to comply with Article 6(3) of the habitats directive in respect of authorisation of aquaculture programmes, Ireland failed to fulfil its obligations under that directive. My Department is working closely with the Marine Institute, Bord Iascaigh Mhara and the National Parks and Wildlife Service to achieve full compliance with the birds and habitats directives through a multi-annual work programme. This programme entails the collection of necessary data in relevant marine Natura sites, the development of conservation objectives in those sites, the completion of appropriate assessments and the establishment of fisheries Natura plans and other arrangements to enable a progressive roll-out of determinations in line with the Natura obligations once all the preconditions are met.

It is a very long answer to a very short question. The process has begun to achieve meaningful results. Assessments have been completed in respect of Castlemaine Harbour, Dundalk Bay, Lough Swilly, Donegal Bay and Roaringwater Bay. We are accelerating the number of applications we are considering and in most cases granting because by the time it gets to me it has been sieved through the various assessment procedures. I will inquire as to where Ballycotton is positioned on that list and will come back directly to the Deputy with a more accurate date. I do not have it before me.

See this speech in context