Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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Question 319: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will resolve the outstanding issues preventing a company (details supplied) in County Donegal from attaining the necessary aquaculture licences to secure the vital employment in fish processing that they have created in that area. [7314/11]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department currently holds two aquaculture licence renewal applications for Marine Harvest Ireland for marine based sites in County Donegal which await determination. The backlog in the processing of new and renewal licence applications largely arises because the majority of areas for which the licences are sought are designated Special Areas of Conservation under the EU Habitats Directive and/or Special Protection Areas under the EU Birds Directive (Natura 2000 sites).

In the case of aquaculture sites located within Natura 2000 areas the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, in conjunction with the Marine Institute and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, is engaged in a comprehensive programme to gather the necessary baseline data appropriate to the conservation objectives of these areas. This process is ongoing and significant progress has been made. This comprehensive data collection programme, together with the setting of appropriate conservation objectives by the NPWS, will enable all new, renewal and review applications to be appropriately assessed for the purpose of ensuring compliance with the EU Birds and Habitats Directives. This work represents a significant financial, administrative and scientific investment by the State in resolving this issue. The Appropriate Assessment of aquaculture applications will be dealt with on a bay-by-bay basis.

My Department continues to make every effort to expedite the determination of all outstanding cases having regard to the complexities of each case and the need to comply fully with all national and EU legislation.