Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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262. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his plans to regularise the application process for foreshore licences to ensure a statutory timeline for the issuing of such licences to enable ports here to develop to their full potential; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42912/20]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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The responsibilities of my Department in relation to the administration of the Foreshore Act 1933, as amended, are regulatory in nature. The core responsibilities include the regulation and administration of the foreshore through a system of leasing and licensing.

There has been a substantial increase in both the volume of foreshore consent applications and the complexity of these applications, particularly with regard to large infrastructural projects.

Foreshore consent can only be granted by my Department if it is in the public interest. At present, the processing of a foreshore consent application includes the following:

- assessment of the application by the Department’s internal technical advisers,

- consultation with statutory and non-statutory consultees, including relevant Departments and Agencies;

- a period of public consultation, normally 30 calendar days;

- valuation of the site to be occupied by the applicant;

- assessment of the application by the Marine Licence Vetting Committee which advises on scientific matters;

- other public interest elements that may arise in particular cases; and

- obtaining necessary legal advice in complex legal cases from the Chief State Solicitor’s Office and Attorney General’s Office and Department of Public Expenditure and Reform sanction, where appropriate.

The prioritisation of applications, based on a scheme of priorities and active case management through all stages of the process, has led to efficiencies in processing applications.

In January 2020, my Department published the finalised General Scheme of the Marine Planning and Development Management Bill, which will provide the legislative basis for Ireland's new marine planning regime. In addition to the legislative underpinning for forward planning provided through the National Marine Planning Framework, the MPDM Bill will also provide: a new State consent regime for the entire maritime area replacing foreshore consenting; development consenting integration into the planning permission system; and robust compliance and enforcement measures.

The commitment in the Programme for Government to enactment in nine months reflects the priority it has been accorded.

Further information is available on the Department’s website:

MPDM Bill: .

National Marine Planning Framework: .