Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I refer to the point made by Senator Paddy Burke and raise a different issue regarding RTÉ. While praise can be levelled in its direction sometimes, I wish to be more critical here. RTÉ sport has decided not to broadcast the World Athletics Championships this year. It is a retrograde step, especially when we read that some 10 or 12 senior RTÉ officials had chosen to travel to the Rugby World Cup in Japan. Irish athletes are competing in the championships. Our best result to date has been secured by a friend of mine, a fellow club member from Donegal, Brendan Boyce, who obtained a magnificent sixth place in the most gruelling sporting event on earth, the 50 km walk, last Saturday night. I want to extend congratulations to Brendan. He trains mostly in Ireland, with Robbie Heffernan in Cork.

I refer to the Departments of Agriculture, Food and Marine and the Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, and the awarding and processing of foreshore licences in special areas of conservation, SACs, and special protection areas, SPAs. There is an issue in Donegal where foreshore licence applications with the combined geographical footprint of 70 times the size of Croke Park for commercial oyster fishing. There has been no public consultation whatever with the local community, which is now up in arms against the proposal. It might be an issue more relevant to a Commencement debate and I will table a question on the matter. However, I would like both Ministers come to the House to describe in detail the process, or lack thereof, of public consultation at local level. I am also interested in what the Minister with responsibility for protecting SPAs and SACs has to say about such proposals. To date, that Department has made no input whatever on this application, one of the largest ever in the country.