Seanad debates

Thursday, 9 July 2015

Commencement Matters

Aquaculture Licence Applications

10:30 am

Photo of Martin ConwayMartin Conway (Fine Gael)
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Go raibh maith agat, a Chathaoirligh, and thank you for allowing the Commencement matter to go ahead. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Nash, to the House. This issue is simple. Ballyvaughan in County Clare as well as Fanore and the Burren are among the most unique areas of landscape in the world. The Burren is certainly has a unique style in terms of its rock, limestone, mountainous terrain, flora and fauna. Some of the flowers there only grow in the Burren and nowhere else in the world.

The Burrenbeo and Burren Geopark projects have had major success. They have won international awards and they are going to win many more awards. These, coupled with the Cliffs of Moher visitor experience and the panoramic coastline that extends all along the coast of County Clare, in particular from the Cliffs of Moher up as far as Ballyvaughan, are our natural resources. They are creating and sustaining jobs in the northern part of County Clare. Meanwhile, a fish farm is being proposed.

I do not know very much about fish farms but I have been talking to many people who know a great deal about them and I do not like what I hear. It is the same among the people of north Clare. I do not believe we need this type of investment in County Clare to create jobs. We have ample opportunity to create jobs in the county by promoting and investing in tourism and in promoting our natural resources. We do not need fish farms.

It would be more in the line of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to negotiate properly for access to sea waters for the fishermen who go to sea for a living, instead of indirectly encouraging these types of fish farms which, ultimately, will compromise the natural resources we have. I wish to put on the record of this House clearly that I am not in favour of the fish farm, either as it is proposed or as it will be alternatively proposed following downsizing. What we have we need to protect rather than compromise.

Photo of Gerald NashGerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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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.

Photo of Martin ConwayMartin Conway (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to take this Commencement Debate matter on behalf of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Of course we have to respect the separation of decision-making and so forth as well as the appropriateness of ministerial involvement. However, as I said at the outset the Minister also has responsibility to protect our environment as well as a responsibility to protect our natural resources and tourism industry. His responsibilities lie not only in terms of creating jobs but in terms of sustaining the jobs already in place. I would appreciate if the Minister of State brought these observations to the Minister. We will watch the process with interest.