Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 978: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the reason he will accept an appropriate assessment linked to an application for a waste water treatment plant carried out by a local authority to discharge urban sewage directly into a marine special area of conservation for which there is no baseline data, no conservation objectives and no management plan, yet he refuses to accept an appropriate assessment linked to applications for aquaculture licences in SACs or special protection areas citing the absence of the same baseline data, conservation objectives or management plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33624/09]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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It is a matter for the appropriate consent authority to ensure that any development or activity that could have a significant impact on a Natura 2000 site is granted such consent in compliance with the provisions of the Habitats and Birds Directives, as transposed into Irish law in the European Communities (Natural Habitats) Regulations. Waste water treatment plants are generally subject to planning consent and to licence from the EPA. Aquaculture licences are issued by the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

I am a statutory consultee in such applications and provide scientific advice to the relevant consent authority in such matters. It is for the consent authority to make the appropriate assessment, based on the information made available to it in support of the application, as to whether consent can be given to the proposed development or activity.