Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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73. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will put in place measures to speed up the marine licensing process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38530/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will appreciate the aquaculture licensing process is complex. The timeline for processing an aquaculture licence varies depending on a number of factors including location, species, scale and intensity of production, statutory status of sites and potential visual impact.

The Department considers all applications for aquaculture licences in accordance with the provisions of the 1997 Fisheries (Amendment) Act, the 1933 Foreshore Act and applicable national and EU legislation. There are several statutory timeframes set out in the legislation in respect of aquaculture licensing as the process involves consultation with a wide range of scientific and technical advisers as well as various Statutory Consultees. The legislation also provides for a period of public consultation. In addition, the legislation governing aquaculture licensing provides for an independent appeals mechanism. Foreshore licenses may also be appealed by way of Judicial Review.

The Independent Aquaculture Licensing Review Group carried out a detailed examination of the existing aquaculture licensing process, undertook comprehensive stakeholder consultation and examined comparative national and international consent systems to determine best practice for managing a complex licensing process in a transparent, environmentally appropriate and legally robust manner. The recommendation to eliminate the backlog as a priority has been delivered in relation to shellfish and priority work is ongoing to address outstanding renewal applications in finfish aquaculture.

I recently launched phase one of the new state of the art Aquaculture Information Management System (AQUAMIS). The online viewer was developed in collaboration with the Marine Institute and is the first step in digitising the aquaculture licensing application process. This online aquaculture viewer allows members of the public to freely access and view licensed aquaculture sites and mapping information through a public portal. Phase 2 of the project is currently being developed and will result in a one stop shop for the aquaculture licence application process, enhance the sharing of information and reduce the administrative burden.

The Department is continually monitoring all of its services, including the licensing of aquaculture activities to ensure we provide an efficient service to all our customers while ensuring our environmental and legal obligations are being adhered to.