Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 397: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his plans for legislation and policy regarding foreshore licensing and planning; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9924/10]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Following the enactment of the Foreshore and Dumping at Sea (Amendment) Act 2009, my Department assumed responsibility on 15 January 2010 for a range of foreshore functions including all foreshore energy-related developments (including oil, gas, wind, wave and tidal energy).

Work is under way in my Department to modernise the foreshore consent process and further integrate it with the planning processes under the Planning Acts. The aim is to ensure a quality service for stakeholders (state bodies, infrastructure providers and the general public) by, inter alia, providing a single stage consent process for project approval, statutory timeframes for consultation, mandatory pre-application consultations, a rigorous assessment of environmental impacts and full public participation.