Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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164. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress made to date in the consideration of an application by Bord Iascaigh Mhara for an aquaculture licence for a large fish farm in Galway Bay; when a decision will issue on this application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25090/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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An application by Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) for an aquaculture licence for the cultivation of finfish near Inis Oirr in Galway Bay has been received by my Department. The application and its accompanying Environmental Impact Statement are being considered under the provisions of the 1997 Fisheries (Amendment) Act and the 1933 Foreshore Act.

A determination in respect of the application will be made as soon as possible following completion of the necessary assessment process. This assessment process will take full account of all national and EU legislative requirements and will reflect the full engineering, scientific, environmental, legal and public policy aspects of the application.

There is always a strict separation of my Ministerial role as decision maker in respect of aquaculture licence applications and my Ministerial duty to promote the sustainable development of the industry. This separation of duties is strictly observed.

As the application is under active consideration as part of the statutory process it would not be appropriate for me to comment further at this time.