Anne Ferris (Wicklow, Labour)
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893. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the internal departmental authorisation process that resulted in applicants for an offshore wind licence for an organisation (details supplied) being granted a lease in 2004, without having first submitted an authorisation to construct, a licence to generate and a licence to supply electricity (details supplied), all described as prerequisites for the application of a foreshore lease by Sustainable Energy Ireland in a 2004 report entitled, Offshore Wind Energy and Industrial Development in the Republic of Ireland; his views regarding the administrative process that sanctioned such a departure from procedures, including the existence of formal approvals; the name and position of the sanctioning officers and-or Minister; if this apparent departure from accepted procedure was sanctioned by him; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11732/15]

Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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The foreshore consent process is set out in the Foreshore Act 1933 (as amended). In general terms, applications are considered internally, subject to a consultation process and observations are sought from key stakeholders, commonly referred to as the Marine Licence Vetting Committee.

The document referred to was the report arising from a research project funded through the Renewable Energy Research, Development and Deployment (RERDD) Programme, itself administered by Sustainable Energy Ireland. It was not a policy document but instead was part of a wider suite of material commissioned under the RERDD programme, which focused on stimulating the deployment of renewable energy technologies that were close to market, and on assessing the development of technologies with prospects for the future.

The application referred to was received by the then Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources in 2002, some two years prior to the publication date of the document referred to. The findings of such reports, if adopted, cannot be retrospectively applied.