Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle's office for selecting this Topical Issue matter. I welcome the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Coveney, to the Chamber to debate this very important issue. I appreciate the very heavy workload he has at present with regard to CAP reform in Brussels, and I appreciate him taking the time for this matter.

I accept the bona fides of the Minister with regard to this project, the job creation potential of projects such as this and the potential for growth in the organic salmon industry. I am sure the Minister is aware of the concerns expressed locally in a march last Saturday and in communications we have had in recent months. Bord Iascaigh Mhara, BIM, and local angling groups have made presentations to local authorities in Galway and have met a number of Oireachtas Members including me. Their concerns are numerous and include the effect sea lice would have on native salmon and trout smolts in the Spiddal, Cashla, Costello, Kilcolgan, Clarinbridge and Corrib river systems. There are also concerns regarding fish escaping from such a large salmon farm which will have more than 7 million salmon at its peak, and regarding pollution and the impact on local angling. Connemara and Galway are renowned for their angling, with Lough Corrib being the largest lake in the Republic, and it is a hugely important industry for us.

I mo thuairim, tá ceisteanna fós le freagairt maidir leis an bhfeirm éisc seo. Má théann sí ar aghaidh, beidh sí mar cheann de na feirmeacha éisc is mó san Eoraip. Tá a fhios agam go mbeidh poist á gcruthú, cé nach bhfuilim cinnte cé mhéid, ó thaobh próiseála agus is maith an rud é sin. Tá imní, áfach, ar iascairí agus ar chomhlachtaí iascaireachta faoi thruailliú, faoi mhíolta mara agus faoi impleachtaí ar éisc fhiáin. Teastaíonn freagraí ar cheisteanna ó ghrúpaí iascairí ó Chonamara agus ó Ghaillimh chomh luath agus is féidir.

The board of Inland Fisheries Ireland has indicated concerns about the location and scale of the proposed salmon farm and how its development and operation could impact on wild salmon and sea trout stocks and their habitat. These concerns are based on scientific reports by respected authors and knowledge of the impact of existing fish farms on salmon and sea trout populations off the west coast of Ireland. Sea lice would have devastating effects on wild salmon, as they account for up to 39% of salmon mortalities according to recent peer-reviewed international scientific literature. Concerns have also been expressed about the associated loss of jobs in the recreational angling and tourism sector if the development proceeds without adequate environmental protections being in place.

I call on the Minister to publish the responses from BIM to his Department with regard to the queries and concerns of local groups about the environmental impact statement. We need transparency in all issues and in this case it would allay fears and concerns and allow local groups, anglers, individuals and Inland Fisheries Ireland know exactly what BIM is applying to do before any decision is made. I appreciate the Minister and the Department will ultimately have to make the decision. I understand they will receive advice or a lead opinion from the Irish Marine Institute but it is important the responses to the scientific facts are known and presented.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I see aquaculture as a crucial component of the Government's Food Harvest 2020 strategy. To expand the production of Irish organic farmed salmon, I tasked BIM to investigate the creation of new fish farming production areas in deeper waters. The placement of farms in deep waters is designed to ensure there is no impact on Natura 2000 sites, no significant environmental or visual impact, and no interference with migratory salmonids, wild sea fisheries, navigation or tourism interests.

BIM has estimated that just one of these production areas could generate over €100 million in exports per annum and create approximately 350 direct jobs.

A further 150 jobs will be created indirectly in the service sector, supplying fish feed, netting, transportation and other services.

Last year, BIM submitted an application to my Department for an aquaculture licence for the cultivation of fin fish near Inis Oirr in Galway Bay. The application and its accompanying environmental impact statement is being considered under the provisions of the Fisheries (Amendment) Act 1997 and the Foreshore Act 1933, which provide for extensive consultation with stakeholders and also for a period of general public consultation. The public consultation stage of the assessment process in respect of the application is now closed and a total of 410 valid submissions were received by my Department.

All aspects of the Galway Bay application are currently being examined by my Department in conjunction with its scientific, engineering, technical and legal advisers. All submissions received as part of both the statutory consultation stage of the process and the general public consultation stage will form an integral part of my Department's consideration of the application. It is important to note that the legislation provides for extensive consultation with stakeholders, including Inland Fisheries Ireland, which has responsibility for wild salmon stocks.

It is important for Deputies to understand that as the application is under active consideration as part of the statutory process, it would not be appropriate for me to comment on the merits or otherwise of the application pending the completion of the formal assessment process by my Department. The application process is governed by legislation and must not be subject to parallel discussions by me as Minister or my Department, which could be misconstrued as indicating a predisposition by my Department in respect of the application. Of course, no such predisposition exists and the formal assessment process will take into account and evaluate all the observations received from stakeholders and the general public in relation to the application.

It should also be noted that the legislation provides for a possible appeal of the ministerial decision to the Aquaculture Licences Appeals Board, an independent authority for the determination of appeals against decisions of the Minister.

I assure Deputies that the public interest is well protected under the provisions of the relevant legislation and I am conscious of the importance of proceeding fully in line with the statutory requirements, given the scale and ambition of this particular proposal.

Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for his reply, although I appreciate that it is constrained due to the active nature of the application. I appreciate that the Minister cannot comment on the ins and outs of the application. Unfortunately, however, there is widespread concern in the locality about this matter. The responses to the queries pertaining to the application from BIM should be published. All the information should be put out there to enable everybody who has a genuine concern about the possible impact of such a large-scale project, including the IFI, local angling groups and those involved in tourism, to air their views. If they had that information as well as all the responses, they would be better able to judge whether all the facts were there and, if so, whether they were correct.

BIM states that 90% of salmon smolts from river catchments travel along the coastline up to the North Atlantic, yet local angling groups and the IFI state that 90% of the same salmon smolts swim deep into Galway Bay. Which piece of advice is the correct one? Facts should be indisputable but unfortunately we are getting two sets of facts. We need to know which is correct before any decision is made. It is imperative that all the scientific data is available so that it can be fully assessed. Before a decision is made, people should be confident that everything can be examined in a transparent manner.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I understand that some people are concerned about this project, while many people support it. When one is doing something new in Ireland, concerns are always expressed, which is as it should be. That is why we need to follow a procedure, which we are doing. That procedure is consistent with the legislation. I will take the advice of my Department and the scientists in the Marine Institute on this application, as I do for other aquaculture and fin fish farming applications as and when they arise. It is important to apply the same standards to this project as to others, so we will follow the procedure to the letter.

BIM is making its case for this particular project. It has been actively trying to do that through public meetings and information sessions. Ultimately, however, I must separate myself from the project to the extent that I need to make an independent decision based on the submissions of concern that have been made and also the advice I receive from scientists in the Marine Institute. When I get those recommendations from the top marine biologists and scientists, in the context of the questions and concerns that have been raised, I will make a decision accordingly on foot of that information. I hope to be able to do that in the not too distant future.

If people disagree with that decision they will have an option to appeal it. We then have an independent system that will have to examine all the available facts and opinions. We will then have a second opinion. However, my Department will be rigorous in assessing this matter so that any decision is consistent with the law. It must also be consistent with protecting the environment while at the same time considering the commercial opportunity of such a proposal. That is what I am obliged to do and I will remain independent. That is why I will be somewhat limited in what I can say about the project while I am considering this application.