Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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484. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when he will conduct the proposed review of aquaculture licensing; and if he will suspend all aquaculture licensing pending the outcome of the review. [28065/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Ireland’s first National Strategic Plan for Sustainable Aquaculture Development was published by my Department in December 2015. That Plan proposes 24 actions to drive the sustainable development of the aquaculture sector and sustainably grow production in the sector by 45,000 tonnes.

Action number 22 of the National Strategic Plan for Sustainable Aquaculture Development commits my Department to a review and revision of the aquaculture licence process, including the applicable legal framework. This Review is echoed by the recommendations of FoodWise 2025.

Aquaculture licences are determined by my Department having regard to the requirements of the Fisheries (Amendment) Act 1997, the Foreshore Acts 1993-2011, the EU Habitats and Birds Directives, the Aarhus Convention, requirements relating to underwater archaeology and certain other regulatory requirements.

Thus, the process around aquaculture licensing is extremely complex and demanding. Nevertheless, my Department made 104 aquaculture licence determinations in 2015, some 53 licence determinations have been made so far this year and in the order of 150 determinations are expected for the year as a whole.

The National Strategic Plan for Sustainable Aquaculture Development recognised the complexity of the present process and related legal framework. It committed to a review of the licensing process, including the legal framework. I am presently considering this commitment and the many other actions proposed in the National Strategic Plan for Sustainable Aquaculture Development and expect to progress the issue in 2016.

The purpose of the proposed review of the aquaculture licensing process is to identify ways to achieve more timely determinations. Suspending the licensing process would be entirely counter to that objective. In addition, the legislative framework for aquaculture licensing does not provide for the suspension of the licence determination process.