Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 494: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if proposed legislation will exempt plough dredging from new licensing arrangements; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that plough dredging does not require licensing in other EU countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42893/09]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The Foreshore and Dumping at Sea Amendment Bill now before the Oireachtas will transfer certain foreshore functions from my Department to the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government. In addition, the Bill will transfer responsibility for the Dumping at Sea Acts to the Environmental Protection Agency. Other than the transfer of functions, there are no significant amendments to the Acts contained within this Bill save for the modernisation of certain phrases and references. Plough dredging is regulated by the Dumping at Sea Acts as is dumping of dredge spoil at off shore locations,

My Department is fully conscious of the requirement for County Councils and Harbour Authorities to carry out dredging on a regular basis, and in all cases every effort is made to expedite the issue of the appropriate Dumping at Sea permit subject to the approval of the Marine Licence Vetting Committee. In particular, Dumping at Sea permits have been issued to Donegal County Council to facilitate maintenance dredging at Buncrana Harbour on a number of occasions, most recently in July of this year. This permit remains valid until the end of December 2009.