Anne Ferris (Wicklow, Labour)
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750. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government in view of the statutory and European Union requirement for the environmental impact statement for the Codling Park offshore wind farm to assess the visual impact of the development from the adjoining coastline, and in view of the fact that the adjoining planning authorities (details supplied) had no statutory role in formally assessing the developer's environmental impact statement and did not do so, if he will confirm the bodies represented on the marine licence vetting committee appointed to advise him, that had responsibility and the necessary technical skills for assessing the visual impact of this large-scale development on the coast of County Wicklow; the name and professional qualification of the person or persons who carried out this important aspect of the assessment on behalf of the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14214/15]

Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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I refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 885 and 886 of 24 March 2015 which sets out the position with regard to the bodies represented on the Marine Licence Vetting Committee and the names and professional qualifications of the members. Responsibility for considering applications under the Foreshore Act 1933 rests with the appropriate Minister, as defined in the Act. As the application referred to concerned a proposed development 13 km offshore, assessment of the application, including carrying out the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), was a matter for the then Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources rather than for the local authority in question. The issue of visual impact in respect of this application was investigated in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which included zone of influence maps, photomontages and other computer generated visualisations. The Environmental Impact Assessment carried out by the then Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources had regard to the information contained in the EIS.