Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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397. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of occasions on which an applicant was not required to submit an environmental impact statement to accompany an application for an aquaculture licence, pursuant to and since the introduction of the aquaculture (licence application) regulations 1998, by year, in tabular form; if the application relates to marine-based aquaculture activities or land-based activities on each such occasion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32932/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, 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, the 1933 Foreshore Act where appropriate and applicable EU legislation.

Under the provisions of the legislation an Environmental Impact Statement is mandatory in the case of licence applications for the cultivation of finfish in the marine environment (other than trail licences for research purposes).  In all other cases, including licence applications for the cultivation of shellfish and seaweed the requirement to provide an Environmental Impact Statement is determined on a case by case basis and by reference to all relevant legislation and assessment criteria set out therein.

The specific information requested by the Deputy will require an extensive examination of my Department’s records and I can confirm that the information will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.