Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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396. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the date on which he expects an answer from the State Solicitor's Office regarding the decision on a foreshore licence application for Burtonport, County Donegal; the date on which the application was transferred to the State Solicitor's Office; his views on the process adopted by his Department in view of the fact that Donegal County Council has paid his Department €130,000 to purchase this licence;; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19914/13]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The application in question concerns the proposed lease of an area of foreshore by Donegal County Council and an associated proposal by the Council to sub-lease a portion of the foreshore concerned to a third party. Over time, the nature of the proposal for which the Council had originally intended to make the third party sub-lease has changed substantially giving rise to a number of legal issues. My Department has been in on-going contact with the Chief State Solicitor's Office on this case since November 2010.

As regards the leasehold premium, Donegal County Council elected to lodge payment in October 2010, in advance of a demand for payment from my Department. Nonetheless, given the complexity of the issues involved, my Department cannot progress the application until the advices of the Chief State Solicitor's Office are received.