Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 500: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, further to a previous parliamentary question, if he will provide details on the situation of the applications for foreshore leases from companies (details supplied). [42192/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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In February 2007 Oriel Windfarm Limited applied for a foreshore lease for the purpose of constructing an offshore wind farm in Dundalk Bay of up to 330 MW potential consisting of 55 turbines with tower height of up to 100m and rotor diameter of up to 120m. Negotiations between Oriel Windfarm Ltd and my Department regarding the terms of a proposed lease are at an advanced stage. Once these negotiations have been completed and taking all other relevant information into consideration in accordance with the Foreshore Acts, my Department will submit a recommendation in this case.

An application for a foreshore lease to construct a wind farm off the Skerd Rocks in Outer Galway Bay was submitted by Fuinneamh Sceirde Teoranta on 15 May 2008, and was accompanied by an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The application has been circulated to my Department's consultees for observations. This element of the process is almost complete and it is likely that the application and associated EIS will go to public consultation in early 2009.