Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)
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512. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 660 and 661 of 15 January 2014 if he is satisfied that his Department is fully compliant with the Aarhus Convention in regard to the provision of environmental information; if he will make available the aquaculture and foreshore licences applications with their maps online, together with the decisions when made; and the reasons requirements regarding copies of objections and instructions for lodging an appeal, as is the custom with development applications within the jurisdiction of local authorities, were not met. [6717/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The relevant Directive requires public authorities inter alia to make available and disseminate environmental information to the general public to the widest extent possible, in particular by using information and communication technologies.

Under the provisions of the 1997 Fisheries (Amendment) Act my Department publishes Ministerial determinations in respect of aquaculture licence applications in local newspapers. The relevant public notice also provides a website address in respect of a “Conclusion Statement” which outlines how the relevant aquaculture decisions comply with the requirements of the EU Birds and Habitats Directives.

As part of my Department’s upgrading of its online provision of services in respect of aquaculture licensing all marine fin fish licences are currently available online and measures are in place to make all other aquaculture licences available online as soon as possible. My Department also makes information available to the public in respect of licensing including maps on a routine basis.

It is a key priority for my Department to establish best practise in relation to all aquaculture license practises.