Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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290. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in view of his recent statement on RTE radio that he was cautious regarding the salmon farming industry, and that he was seeking very detailed scientific and environmental advice on the Galway Bay licence application, if he will act responsibly and suspend licence decisions for all salmon farms, including applications for renewal of licences, and commission a fully independent scientific examination of the environmental effects of salmon farms. [10559/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Applications for aquaculture licences are considered by my Department in accordance with the provisions of the 1997 Fisheries (Amendment) Act and the 1933 Foreshore Act.

The assessment process takes full account of all national and EU legislative requirements and reflects the full engineering, scientific, environmental, legal and public policy aspects of each application. I can see no basis for suspending licence decisions which are based upon such a rigorous and legally sound assessment process.

The application by Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) for an aquaculture licence for the cultivation of finfish in Galway Bay is under active consideration by my Department as part of the statutory process and it would not be appropriate for me to comment further on the application at this time.

Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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291. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the contacts his Department has had with Marine Harvest Ireland since the company applied for a licence for a giant salmon farm at Shot Head in Bantry Bay, County Cork; and if these contracts undermine the public's confidence in his Department's impartiality as a licence regulator. [10560/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Marine Harvest Ireland submitted an application to my Department for an aquaculture licence for the cultivation of finfish at Shot Head, Bantry Bay in June 2011. Since then the Aquaculture and Foreshore Management Division of my Department has met with the company on 15 occasions. These meetings are part of a long-standing and ongoing series of co-ordination meetings held to discuss general operational matters relevant to the company’s activities.

On 30 January 2014 I met with representatives of Marine Harvest Ireland. The meeting was chaired by an Taoiseach. Officials from the Department of the Taoiseach and my Department were also in attendance. The meeting was held at the request of the company to discuss licensing and industry development issues associated with the company’s operations in Ireland.

On 6 March 2014 I met with representatives of Marine Harvest Ireland in Bergen, Norway on the margins of the North Atlantic Seafood Forum.

At the above meetings no discussion took place which would conflict with my role or the role of my Department in relation to aquaculture licensing.