Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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480. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 566 of 4 February 2014, if he will compensate aquaculture operators in Kenmare Bay for having to survive under the restrictions of an SAC bay; if he will reinstate grant assistance which the rest of the industry outside SAC's receive, a measure which would cost the Exchequer very little and will help existing operators survive through the present bad weather or if he would prefer if there was no aquaculture operations in an SAC bay. [15973/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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As I stated in my response to Question No. 566 of 4 February 2014, my Department is constrained by European law from issuing or renewing aquaculture licences for sites located within Natura 2000 areas until such time as an ‘Appropriate Assessment’ has been conducted to assess the potential impact of the proposed aquaculture activities on the conservation objectives for the Natura 2000 site concerned. The licensing process must take full account of the outcome of that assessment in reaching a determination on any particular licence application. It is anticipated that the Appropriate Assessment for Kenmare Bay will be completed this year. The completion of the Appropriate Assessment will enable my Department to move immediately on the licensing aspects.The Seafood Development Programme 2007-2013 is the framework programme for EU co-funded aid to the seafood sector in Ireland and covers aid up to 2015. The Programme is based on Council Regulation 1198/2006 concerning the European Fisheries Fund (EFF). That Regulation specifies the measures that may attract EFF co-funding and provides the state aid basis for those measures. Member States select certain of the measures included in the Regulation for inclusion in their National Operational Programmes based on national priorities. This means that not all measures potentially eligible under the Regulation can be funded. Ireland’s Programme does not include measures for compensating aquaculture operators for any additional costs relating to operations in Natura 2000 areas. However, licensed sites in Kenmare Bay are not subject to any particular additional costs at this time, as they are operating in line with their existing licences pending any renewal of their licence. Ireland’s Programme does include measures to support the development and growth of aquaculture sites and grant aid of up to 40% of eligible costs is available to eligible sites. The EFF Regulation requires that the Commission and Member States ensure that assistance from the EFF is consistent with the policies, priorities and activities of the Union and that operations financed by the EFF comply with the provisions of the Treaties and the Acts adopted under the Treaties. This includes the Habitats and Birds Directives. To give practical effect to this legal obligation, the stakeholder Monitoring Committee approved selection criteria for the Commercial Aquaculture Development Scheme excluding sites located in Natura 2000 areas from aid under the Scheme until such time as an appropriate assessment has been completed and the site concerned has been licensed taking full account of the conclusions of the appropriate assessment. Once aquaculture operations in Kenmare Bay have been subject to appropriate assessment, sites licensed within the Bay may become eligible for grant aid under the Scheme.