Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I can confirm that Foreshore Licences are required for the survey activities referred to in Marine Notices Nos. 46 and 47 of 2023 and Licences were granted for these activities, by my Department, on 1 September 2023.

On 17 July, 2023 the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority, or MARA, was established under the Maritime Area Planning Act 2021, as an independent agency with responsibility for Enforcement matters in the maritime area. Accordingly, I have been informed by MARA that they made contact with the company issuing these Marine Notices and were advised that there was no intention to carry out any of these survey works until such a time as a formal consents were in place.

MARA continued to monitor the situation until the necessary Foreshore Licenses required to undertake these activities were obtained by the company concerned. For that reason, my Department notified MARA once these Licences had been executed.

While these Marine Notices were issued in advance of the Foreshore Licences being granted, the Applicant informed my Department that they had done so in order to ensure that, if the Licences were granted, the Marine Notices would be in place to avoid them encountering any delays in carrying out these survey activities subject to weather and other operational constraints. In that context, I am satisfied that they were compliant at all stages of the Foreshore Application Process.