Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Conway for raising this issue which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. In 2012 Bord Iascaigh Mhara submitted an application to the Department for an aquaculture licence for the cultivation of fin fish near Inis Oírr in Galway Bay. The application and its accompanying environmental impact statement are being considered under the provisions of the 1997 Fisheries (Amendment) Act and the 1933 Foreshore Act which provide for extensive consultation with stakeholders and for a period of general public consultation as well. 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 the Department.

BIM has estimated that one of these production areas could generate over €100 million in exports per annum and create 350 direct jobs. A further 150 jobs would be created indirectly in the service sector, supplying fish feed, netting, transportation and other services. There is always a strict separation between the ministerial duty to promote sustainable development of the industry and the ministerial role as a decision-maker in respect of aquaculture licence applications. This separation of duties is serious and is strictly observed at all times.

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

It is important for all parties to understand that as the application is under active consideration as part of the statutory process it would not be appropriate to comment on the merits or otherwise of the application pending the completion of the formal assessment process by the Department. The application process is governed by legislation and must not be subject to parallel discussions by the Minister or his Department that could be misconstrued in any way as indicating a predisposition by the Department in respect of the application. Of course, no such predisposition exists and the formal assessment process will take into account and evaluate all of the observations received from stakeholders and the general public in respect of the application. Any person submitting a licence application to the Department has an entitlement, in accordance with fair procedures, to have the application fully considered in accordance with legislation. The legislation provides for a possible appeal of the ministerial decision to the Aquaculture Licences Appeals Board, the independent authority for the determination of appeals against decisions of the Minister.

A draft national strategic plan for sustainable aquaculture development has been published by the Department and is currently the subject of public consultation. It would not be appropriate for anyone to seek to prejudge the outcome of the consultation process or any actions, legislative or otherwise, that might follow from that process. In the meantime, and in the normal way, applications on hand and all new applications will continue to be assessed under the provisions of the existing legislation and licence determinations made in accordance with the legislation.

Senators can be assured that the public interest is well protected under the provisions of the relevant legislation and the Minister is mindful of the importance of proceeding fully in line with statutory requirements.