Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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692. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the progress made in resolving the regulatory licensing issues that pose an impediment to the development of the seaweed industry; the research carried out on the production of a sustainable management plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7116/18]

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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There are two Departments with responsibility for the regulation of seaweed. My Department has responsibility under the Foreshore Act for the regulatory regime applying to the harvesting of wild seaweed while responsibility for the licensing of seaweed cultivation, and policy in this area is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

While I have responsibility for licensing under the Foreshore Act, I have no statutory role in the development of the seaweed industry from an economic development perspective. However, I do recognise that regulatory issues may be inhibiting growth in the sector. My aim is to bring clarity to the regulatory regime applying to wild seaweed harvesting, seeking to balance existing rights and commercial potential, while also ensuring sustainability of the resource and compliance with the State's obligations under domestic and EU environmental law.

A number of applications for licences to harvest wild seaweed are on hand in my Department. While examining the possibility of issuing licences for wild seaweed harvesting it became apparent that rights to harvest wild seaweed may already exist in some areas to which these applications apply.

In this regard, my Department has engaged with the Property Registration Authority (PRA) to attempt to establish the extent of these existing appurtenant rights specified in Land Registry folios to harvest wild seaweed. On foot of this engagement, the PRA has provided my Department with data detailing the extent of the rights in seven of the western seaboard counties, namely Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Clare, Galway, Mayo and Donegal.

My Department has also met with the Attorney General's office on several occasions to examine the implications of the interaction between the existing seaweed harvesting rights and the applications for licences by companies. My Department is continuing to work on this complex legal issue, with a view to making substantial progress as quickly as possible.