Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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175. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the names and qualifications of the members of the marine licence vetting committee who will be undertaking the technical evaluation of the Marine Institute's 35-year foreshore lease application (details supplied) on Galway Bay. [38275/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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In accordance with section 2 of the Foreshore Act 1933 (as amended), the power to enter into a lease in respect of State-owned foreshore rests solely with the appropriate Minister as defined in law. Section 13A(2)(c) of the Foreshore Act 1933 empowers the Minister to rely on the advice of officials, consultants, experts or other advisors in making a determination on foreshore applications requiring environmental impact assessment. There are a number of statutory consultees with whom I am obliged to consult on foreshore consent applications. Among these are the public bodies that generally participate in the Marine Licence Vetting Committee (MLVC); the Marine Institute, Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (Marine Survey Office), Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and & Gaeltacht Affairs (Underwater Archaeology and Nature Conservation ), Sea Fisheries Protection Authority and Inland Fisheries Ireland. The MLVC is a multi-disciplinary standing committee which has provided scientific, technical and engineering advice on applications for foreshore consent for the past three decades. It is an ad hoc mechanism used to bring together officials with scientific, technical and engineering expertise from a range of Government Departments and agencies. The MLVC is normally chaired by the Marine Institute, however for the purposes of assessing the Marine Institute's 35 year foreshore lease application in Galway Bay it will be chaired by a senior professional within my Department.

With regard to the expertise of the participants, it is a matter for each relevant public body to ensure that its officials are appropriately qualified and experienced. Information on the qualifications and experience of employees of other organisations is not held by my Department. Those representatives of my Department that participate in the MLVC have the appropriate professional qualifications and experience commensurate with my Department’s role in foreshore consenting. The names of the individuals that will participate in the MLVC as part of the consideration of the application concerned will be compiled and forwarded separately.