Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Táim iontach buíoch den Dáil go bhfuil seans againn é seo a phlé tráthnóna inniu. There is huge anger and disbelief within the communities of Cloughaneely, Gortahork, Cill Charthaigh and the surrounding areas over controversial plans to develop large-scale oyster farms at Ballyness Bay. This anger, disbelief and frustration are best exemplified by the attendance of up to 700 people at a public meeting at the end of the summer. Thousands of people have signed a local petition. They are aghast at what has been planned for an area of stunning beauty. I am not sure if the Minister, Deputy Creed, is familiar with that part of our island but it is worth seeing. It really is a jewel in the crown. It has breathtaking scenery, clear waters and relatively unspoilt marine life, and it has been a source of pride for the local community for many decades.

This community cannot understand why the Department is considering placing industrial-scale oyster farms along its strands. If approved, these would stretch from Drumnatinny, through Ballyness and on to Magheraroarty on the western side of the bay. The vast majority of people, myself included, only became aware that these applications were with the Department several weeks after the public consultation period had ended. How were we kept in the dark? The answer is very clear. This was advertised in an excellent local newspaper, the Donegal Democrat. However and unfortunately, the Donegal Democratdoes not have a wide readership in that area. Members of the community inform me that only 15 copies of the Donegal Democrat are sold in the Falcarragh area, in contrast with two other papers with a bigger reach there. The advertisement was not published in Gaelic, though this is a Gaeltacht area. It was available to view in the local Garda station, but in rural Ireland Garda stations are only open three hours a day, and if gardaí are on call, a member of the public will not be seen. If it is not advertised in the local newspapers or radio, members of the public do not know to go to the local Garda station to view the application anyway.

There are huge issues here. We have seen this in other areas as well. Several decisions have been made by the Department in recent weeks to approve oyster farming in various parts of Donegal where there was no objection or opposition. However, this is a pristine area. It is a special area of conservation. The bay is protected. Just last week I was talking to the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, about coastal erosion and the need to invest in that area to protect the habitat there. I support aquaculture, but the idea of trestles running from Magheraroarty through to Ballyness is just not acceptable. We are talking about harvesting oysters in an area equivalent to 45 or 46 football pitches. That is simply not acceptable.

The spirit and principle of the legislation and the EU directive on public consultation make clear the need for public awareness of an application of such magnitude. The public should be consulted. This application was placed in a newspaper with a circulation of just 15 in a community of thousands. I repeat, thousands of people have signed a petition calling for this process to go back to the starting blocks. Will the Minister intervene and nullify these applications? If the promoters want to make the applications again, they can do so with the knowledge of the community. At the end of the day, it is the Minister who will grant this licence or reject it.

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