Vol. 865 No. 3
6. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if and when interim reports will be published on the research being undertaken by the Environmental Protection Agency for the environmental impacts of unconventional gas exploration and extraction study, particularly in relation to the possibility of granting exploration licences for fracking here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3916/15]
Hardly a month goes by without hearing more concerning news about the effects of fracking on our health and our planet. I am concerned as to whether the EPA investigation into this area has produced results yet and what is the Government's plan in this area.
I thank the Deputy for the question. To assist Government bodies in making informed decisions about future licensing and management of any proposal for the use of hydraulic fracturing as part of an unconventional gas exploration or extraction project, comprehensive knowledge of the potential impacts of this process on the environment and human health is required. On behalf of the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, the EPA appointed CDM Smith consultants last year to undertake this programme of scientific research, which is to be carried out over a minimum period of two years. The key questions that this research programme must answer are whether unconventional gas exploration and extraction projects and operations can be carried out in the island of Ireland while also protecting the environment and human health; and what constitutes best environmental practice in relation to such projects and operations. To this end, the scientific research programme is based on a consideration of existing baseline data with respect to ground water, air and seismicity and the potential implications and mitigations that are required to be considered in order to understand the possible environmental impacts of using this technology.
While it is not anticipated that any interim reports will be made available before the final report is published, I have sought a progress update report on the research programme from the EPA, which I expect to receive shortly. I confirm again that no decision will be made on any proposal for the use of hydraulic fracturing as part of any unconventional gas exploration or extraction programme until there has been time to consider the outcome of the EPA research.
We have been skirting around the subject for a while now and it has come to a certain point. Governments in Ireland and elsewhere will be left with a massive challenge to clean up the mess left by previous governments. The Government discusses doing so in economic terms in respect of the people who were in office before it. On an environmental level, people are waking up to the fact that there are massive challenges which we are not meeting. I will quote briefly from Naomi Klein's book This Changes Everything on climate issues, which is a must-read for everybody:
In virtually most countries, the political class accepts the premise that it is not the place of government to tell large corporations what they can and cannot do, even when public health and welfare are clearly at stake.
We need to be a great deal more firm on the point that fracking will not be good for Ireland and the Irish people. It is simply too easy to damage the water table. A simple septic tank can damage the water table and it is frightening what fracking can do. The Government should be stronger on the issue.
I agree with the Deputy's sentiments and am at one with him on his concern, having met with a number of groups, including during the summer with Senator Pádraig Mac Lochlainn and Senator Michael Comiskey. I note that Deputy Michael Colreavy has a very strong interest in the area also. There are concerns. In fact, more than 1,000 submissions came from the community during the consultation period prior to the EPA report. That was not just in relation to the environment, but predominantly on health and health impacts. That is why we have built a very strong health pillar into the EPA report. It is also why there is a representative from the health sector on this particular body.
I was very concerned that the EPA would do a two-year report and let someone deal with it then. I sought and built in, not necessarily a mid-term review, but an appraisal of where matters stand at this juncture. The process only commenced last August, but the appraisal will happen shortly. We must look at a mechanism to distribute the resulting information. If there are ideas from the other side of the House, I will move that forward. I am certainly open to them.
The concept of the effect on health should be paramount but we cannot just pay lip-service to it. We must be proactive and tackle some of the problems that could arise to damage our health. The Minister, Deputy Alex White, spoke to Deputy Boyd Barrett during the last question about the 2020 programme targets. It was worrying to hear the Taoiseach refer last Tuesday week to Ireland being in a position to negotiate with the EU on the targets we have. The only thing we should be negotiating is the possibility of achieving better targets in faster times. People are really concerned and there is a bit of a wakening up on the challenges of climate change and the attaching health issues. As a small country, it would be great for Ireland to be stronger and to act as a leading light in this area. It was great to see Scotland put a stop to fracking recently.
I thank Deputy Wallace for putting down this important question. The starting point must be that none of us has a monopoly on wisdom in relation to hydraulic fracturing. Many of us are absolutely clear that it should not be allowed anywhere on the island of Ireland. It is very welcome that the Minister of State has sought an interim report. I ask that the report be made public and presented before the Oireachtas committee to allow its members to look at the whole scope of it. There continues to be serious public concern in relation to potential gaps in the scope of the research being carried out.
I will relay the Deputy's concerns. We will look at a mechanism to disseminate that information. On Deputy Wallace's concerns on health, I note that there is a licensing round in the Atlantic margins currently. If one looks at the acreage available to Ireland in that context, Ireland is the fourth largest country in Europe in geographical terms. There is a momentum offshore and within the industry on the potential within the new round of licensing in the Atlantic margin. I am on record regarding my personal opinion as to whether there is enough acreage out there to focus on that sector and oil and gas drilling offshore. I think there is.
Is Ireland too small a country with so unique an architectural and archaeological heritage to have fracking here? Without pre-empting any of the information in the report to which I have no access, I note that I have my own reservations given the size of Ireland and the architectural and archaeological uniqueness of the island on going to a stage for hydraulic fracturing. We know of reports in other countries of environmental and health concerns. That is my personal view and I am on record as having said that in the past. I have my concerns. While I am certainly not pre-empting what will come out of the report, I wish to record that again.
7. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources in view of the fact that the intention of the Scottish Government is that Torness and Hunterson nuclear stations will be closed and replaced by renewables energy generation, whether his view that nuclear power is an option for this country is mistaken in view of the potential for renewable energy off the coast. [3671/15]
As the Minister is aware, some of the most successful developments in renewable energy have been in countries that have made a decision to end their connection with nuclear power. The question relates in this instance to Scotland, where the decision has been made to shut down nuclear power stations. Scotland has invested heavily and strategically in renewable energy. The two decisions are linked. Thus, the Minister's comments about leaving open the possibility that this country, which has up to now been nuclear-free, may turn in that direction are completely against international best practice. He might like to explain his comments.
The May 2014 Green Paper on energy policy in Ireland covers a broad range of energy issues, including an exploration of all possible fuel options for securing a balanced, sustainable and secure energy mix. It is in this context that any current discussions on nuclear energy policy are taking place.
It is important to note that there are currently no plans to introduce nuclear power in Ireland. In fact, the use of nuclear fission for the generation of nuclear power is statutorily prohibited by the Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Act 2006, which prohibits the authorisation of development consisting of an installation for the generation of electricity by nuclear fission. The Electricity Regulation Act 1999 also makes similar provision in respect of regulatory authorisations.
The overarching objective of the Government's energy policy is to ensure secure and sustainable supplies of competitively priced energy to all consumers. The 2009 EU renewable energy directive set Ireland a legally binding target of meeting 16% of our energy requirements from renewable sources by 2020, to be achieved through 40% renewable generation in electricity, 12% in heat and 10% in transport. To date, onshore wind energy has been the most cost-effective renewable technology in the Irish electricity market, contributing most towards the achievement of the 2020 target.
However, there is also the potential to diversify our renewable electricity generation portfolio in the period to 2020 and beyond. To that end, the offshore renewable energy development plan, published in February last year, identifies the sustainable economic opportunity for Ireland, in the period to 2030, of realising the potential of our indigenous offshore wind, wave and tidal energy resources. Furthermore, the draft bioenergy plan published in October last acknowledges the role that the bioenergy sector can play in the transition to a low-carbon economy.
Nuclear energy is dirty power and is on the way out in other areas, and I, like most citizens, would be happy if it never saw the light of day here. We are not focusing on where our potential might lie by even entertaining it or putting it on the list. Renewable energy creates massively more jobs per unit of energy than fossil fuels. We have examples, as I said, in Germany and in Scotland. Scotland has very similar geographic conditions to Ireland and a similar population. In 2013 there were 12,000 people employed in renewable energy there. I do not know what the figure is in Ireland, but it is roughly a couple of hundred in wind and wave, maybe 1,000 or 2,000 nationally. We could be really developing our offshore wave potential. Small businesses and big businesses are not capable of delivering. The Minister's Department would fund a broad range of small developments in wave power. At the technical readiness level, they are all scoring one, two or maybe three on a nine-point scale. Small operators cannot take it to the stage at which this type of protocol could be developed, even though the potential may be there. We need to do something a lot bigger than we may have considered before.
That is the point of the consultation process in which we are engaged. That is the point of our having debate and discussions in this House and elsewhere on what we need to do in terms of addressing these huge challenges for the future. I do not disagree with much of what has been said regarding the huge potential of renewable energy production. The Deputy is absolutely right in that regard, but it would not be true to say that we are way behind the pack. In fact, we have made considerable strides. I will be in Scotland quite soon to have a look at what they are doing and to discuss aspects of this area with my colleagues there.
Deputies can disagree with me if they wish, but I have a view that if we are having a serious debate about energy, where we give ourselves a few months to look at this in the round, with all the issues raised by the Deputies on the table, as it were, and have a really clear-headed debate, we cannot start by excluding one source and saying it is out of the equation. That is the basis upon which I said we should have a comprehensive debate and assessment, make our decisions in the summer and publish in September, and I hold to that view.
The point is that we have an advantage, coming a little bit late, in that we can start by adopting what is already international best practice. In Germany, 25% of energy comes from renewable sources, locally controlled in many instances. There are hundreds of thousands of jobs connected with it. We in Ireland are probably unique in a global sense in terms of our wave energy potential. There are about ten firms that various Government Departments are funding in this area. They need to be brought under Government control. The Government should buy them out, buy the intellectual property rights, and employ the people to develop the ideas to the next stage on the model. This development requires millions of euro. That is why even big companies such as Pelamis, Wavebob, Oceanlink, and Aquamarine have gone into receivership. Private industry is not capable of developing this potential. It needs to be brought in under the ESB, perhaps, or another area, to look at how we can harness what could be one of the most exciting international developments in renewable energy off our coast.
The Deputy cannot seriously say that the private sector will not have a significant role, particularly in an area such as offshore energy. The amount of money that is required - and I ask the Deputy to take this from me on trust - in terms of the investment base needed for these offshore projects is not in the millions; it is in the billions. I do not disagree with what the Deputy says at all in terms of her view of the future and her positive approach to it, but the idea that the State has the resources to develop these projects, even at the level of research, is a bit fanciful.
The State should lead development. The millions I referred to were for research. The Minister did not listen.
8. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide an update on the Grid25 project; when the review of this project will be completed; the way this project will be funded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3771/15]
Regarding the EirGrid project, could the Minister provide an update on what reports he has received in his Department? When will the review of this project be completed? This is causing major concern in communities the length and breadth of the country and he might give us an update on where the review is at and when it will be before the Dáil.
Grid25 comprises more than 100 projects, ranging from large projects such as Grid West, Grid Link and the North-South interconnector to smaller projects such as station works or upgrades of existing transmission lines around Ireland. EirGrid reviews all projects at regular intervals and is currently undertaking such a review. The overall Grid25 strategy was forecast to cost up to €4 billion at the time of its launch in 2007. In 2010, the identification and use of new technologies, together with the re-optimisation of the Grid25 programme, enabled EirGrid to reduce the estimated cost of the programme from €4 billion to €3.2 billion. The outcome of the current review referred to by the Deputy is expected over the coming weeks.
Regarding two of the larger projects, Grid West and Grid Link, an independent panel of experts, chaired by Ms Justice Catherine McGuinness, was established in January 2014 to examine these projects. The panel met on several occasions last year to consider and approve the terms of reference for comprehensive route-specific studies and reports on fully undergrounded and overhead options for each of the Grid West and Grid Link projects. The studies and reports are required to include assessments of potential environmental impacts, technical efficacy and cost factors. The terms of reference for the work to be carried out were published in May 2014 and are available on my Department's website.
EirGrid is undertaking or commissioning the necessary work in accordance with those terms of reference set by the panel. In due course, the panel will provide an opinion to me on the completeness, objectivity and comparability of the studies and reports and will oversee the publication by EirGrid of the two studies and reports prior to public consultation on the two projects by EirGrid.
The panel was also asked to provide an opinion on the compatibility of the methodologies to be employed on the Grid West and Grid Link projects with what has already been done on the North-South project.
In July, the panel announced its unanimous opinion that, in all material respects, what had already been done on the North-South project was compatible with the methodologies now being employed on the Grid West and Grid Link projects.
When does the Minister expect these reports to be published? Surely the panel is keeping him and his Department informed of the situation. When will the reports be available for public consultation so that people can make their minds up about the issues concerning them and their communities?
Regarding the expert panel's report, I expect to have an opinion on the Grid West and Grid Link projects at some time in the first and third quarters, respectively, of this year. I am expecting a report on EirGrid's ongoing review of the Grid25 programme in a matter of weeks. I cannot give the Deputy an exact date, but I would say weeks and not months.
When the Minister has the report, the least he might do is afford the House an opportunity to discuss it. As he well knows, the communities have significant concerns. These have abated somewhat during the wait for the reports, but the latter need to be published. Is the Minister concerned about the works that were proposed at the start of the process? Are they still necessary?
That is what the report will tell us. It involves a needs analysis. The question of what capacity needs to be developed has arisen many times during the discussions on and controversies surrounding the grid. As the Deputy is aware, the level outlined in the 2007 analysis was reduced in 2010. EirGrid is projecting future need in the context of 2015. The Deputy is right in that as soon as I have that information, it should be in the public domain and there should be a discussion in the House. I am in favour of the maximum amount of information and technical expertise being available to the public and Deputies as we debate these questions.
9. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if fibre or satellite broadband will be provided to the 78 areas that have been identified as requiring State intervention in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3857/15]
This relates to the provision of appropriate broadband facilities to the areas in question under the national plan. What timeline does the Minister expect for the work's commencement?
The national broadband plan will deal conclusively with rural connectivity issues so that current and future generations will have guaranteed access to high-quality, high-speed broadband. The network we wish to see built will, therefore, have to be scalable and capable of meeting future anticipated traffic growth. Whatever the technology used, it must ensure that users have a minimum service of 30 Mbps.
In line with EU competition rules, we must observe a policy of technology neutrality in any State intervention in a competitive market. However, the scale of the Government's ambition regarding the level of service we wish to see available in rural areas, the step change in broadband quality demanded by the European Commission's state aid guidelines, the exponential growth in demand from consumers, the ongoing significant improvement in services that are now available to many urban dwellers and businesses through commercial investment, and the current fibre deficit in much of rural Ireland all point to a major role for fibre in resolving this issue.
In line with the provisions of the state aid guidelines, we are likely to adopt an approach that will see fibre networks as close as possible to end users. Through a variety of technology platforms, retail telecommunications providers would then be able to use this wholesale network to offer services to the final customer. Last April, the then Minister, Deputy Rabbitte, announced that as a first step it was clear that at least 1,100 villages, 78 of which were in Donegal, would require fibre backhaul connectivity. Since then, Eircom has announced that two of these villages, Carrick and Gweedore, will be covered under its eFibre roll-out. The remainder of the villages in Donegal remain firmly part of the programme. There are 2,644 townlands in Donegal and 52,004 premises, of which 52% will be covered by State-led intervention and 48% will have received high-speed broadband from the commercial sector by the end of 2016.
I thank the Minister for his reply, but he did not outline a timeline for the roll-out. People outside the main cities are increasingly frustrated because broadband is not being delivered and there is not a realistic timeline for its delivery. As the Minister stated, 52% of households in Donegal will require State intervention in order to have a sufficient level of broadband connectivity, but they do not see any light at the end of the tunnel.
Broadband should be bringing traditionally peripheral counties such as Donegal more towards the centre in terms of their connectivity with the world. If one has proper broadband facilities, one can work from anywhere, yet we are actually falling further behind as the broadband era develops because we are not achieving connectivity. I will cite an example. In recent months, Moville town has experienced regular outages of a couple of days at a time in its limited broadband. This is the environment in which we expect growth and business development. If the Government does not ensure delivery-----
I am sorry, but I will allow the Deputy to contribute again.
-----that will not be feasible.
I did not quite pick up the Deputy's last comment. Be it in Donegal or any other county, broadband has been and is provided by the private sector, not the State. However, the State will intervene to fill the gap in those areas that the commercial sector will not service. This is an important role for the State.
Regarding the timeline, we launched a mapping consultation process in November. It allows all citizens and businesses to determine where they will feature in the likely future availability of broadband. The private sector will handle the so-called blue areas and the State will have to handle the rest. Some 52% of Donegal will have to be, and will be, handled by the State.
The overall programme is the equivalent of building a road network of 100,000 km. We must get state aid approval this year. That will take a number of months. We will have addressed a list of questions by the summer. Once we have state aid approval, there will be a competitive tendering process and a contractor or contractors will be in place in 2016. Even then, it will take three years to build the 100,000 km, but we will get on with it.
The best-case scenario is that it will be 2016 or 2017 before anything starts to be delivered. As such, it will be 2020 or beyond before many regions get proper fibre broadband. This is an unfortunate story to have to tell them while the rest of the country is moving ahead. Little can happen in those areas in terms of developing business or enjoying the types of service for which broadband is essential.
We are nearly four years into the Government's term, but it is only now doing a mapping exercise. Matters have moved exceptionally slowly and there will be little further movement over the next year. For a long time, it has been clear that broadband will not be delivered in many parts of the country without State intervention. There were plenty of places, such as urban centres, where it was debatable as to whether the private sector would become involved and the Government was to see what happened. It is important that broadband be provided without delay, as areas are falling further behind without it.
The time is up, so Deputy Colreavy should ask a quick supplementary question.
I see little in the documentation that has been published relating to the national broadband plan that outlines the links with metropolitan area networks, MANs. Has a detailed analysis of the potential for such links been done?
I want to assure both Deputies that this is a priority for me and the Government. We are expediting this matter, but as I have already told colleagues, if anybody has an idea how we can do it more quickly, I am all ears. We are pressing this literally on a daily basis in my Department where I am consulting with my officials. This is a huge priority for me and we will deliver it. In fairness, I must say that it has not been delivered in the past. This comprehensive plan to deal conclusively with connectivity issues in rural Ireland will be delivered by this Government.
I can understand, and agree with, the frustrations of people who are experiencing delays. They can see the digital divide between rural and urban Ireland but our job is to fix that, which is what we are doing.
10. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his plans to roll out Eircode nationwide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3674/15]
I wish to ask the Minister for an update concerning the roll-out of the Eircode postal system, including its total cost. How much will be spent on consultants? When will the roll-out start and how long will it take to complete nationwide?
In December 2013, a ten year contract was signed with Capita Business Support Services Ireland Limited to develop, roll-out and operate the national postcode system, following a public procurement process.
The design for the national postcode system was approved by Government in April 2014. The Eircode brand was launched for the national postcode system on 28 April 2014. The project is currently in the implementation phase.
The public awareness campaign began in April 2014 with the launch of the website www.eircode.ie. This website has information on Eircodes for both residents and businesses. The postcode management licence holder has briefed businesses in the interim through a series of seminars.
In order to support dissemination of Eircodes, the databases of large public sector bodies will be Eircode enabled, which means that public sector bodies with large customer-facing databases will be in a position to use immediately the codes on launch. The work on preparation of these public service databases to receive Eircodes concluded last month.
A comprehensive national information campaign will commence shortly to inform the public about Eircodes and promote their usage. The campaign will include outreach activities to ensure the residents and businesses nationwide, and especially the vulnerable and hard to reach, will receive information on Eircodes in a timely manner.
The dissemination phase will then commence to deliver by post a unique postcode to every address in Ireland. It is expected that the national postcode system will be live by the summer of this year.
I thank the Minister for his response. What discussions has the Minister or his Department had with those who have concerns about the roll-out of this system and the fact that random address postcodes will be generated? The fire and emergency services association has raised genuine concerns that fatalities may occur due to an erroneous system being set up. What measures have been taken by the Department to enter into an ongoing dialogue with all those who have reservations about the proposed system? Will the amount of money to be spent on consultants' fees be capped? That is a huge bone of contention of which, no doubt, the Minister is aware. The public is genuinely concerned about this matter.
Just in case there is any doubt arising from what the Deputy said in respect of emergency services - we can also talk about other services and interested groups - my Department has briefed all the emergency services on this project. The code will be available to all emergency services at whatever stage their systems are ready to exploit it.
The national ambulance service is already constructing a new computer-aided dispatch system to use Eircodes. This will be deployed in its new state-of-the-art national call centre this year. The national ambulance service has welcomed the introduction of Eircodes as they will facilitate the speedier deployment of their services.
There has been extensive consultation across the board concerning Eircodes. The inputs that people had an opportunity to give were very much taken on board. In an earlier question, which we can certainly revisit, I dealt with the issue of data protection and the interest that the Data Protection Commissioner has taken in this matter. Those concerns have been addressed comprehensively. There will be a short Bill before the Houses prior to the implementation of Eircodes in the summer.
I thank the Minister again, but there are still concerns from the fire and emergency services association, particularly from first responders. Those concerns therefore need to be fully followed up by the Department.
How long does the Minister expect it will take to roll out these codes nationally, particularly to rural areas? Is there a difficulty in that respect? Is there an overlap with the proposed new system, considering that An Post already has a geo-directory?
Overall, I welcome any measures taken to improve postal deliveries so that the public, hopefully, will receive mail in a timely manner. Perhaps the Minister can respond to those points.
I repeat what I said about the emergency services. The national ambulance service has welcomed the introduction of Eircodes and is fully geared up to use them. I am not sure what the issue was concerning a cross-over that the Deputy raised. However, if he wishes to raise it with me after this morning's session I will be happy to address it for him.
This will be a huge advance for the country, including businesses and the community generally. The particular brand or type of Eircode we chose followed a consultation process and a period of deliberation. It will provide a unique code to every postal address in the country, including individual apartments.
As the Deputy knows, the Eircode will be a seven-character code in the format A65B2CD. The first three characters relate to a general area or routing key in which the address is located. Some 35% of addresses in this country are non-unique, which was a critical factor in the choice we made in respect of the particular design we have.
11. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if his Department will support the use of closed containment systems in fish production in order to guard against any negative impact on our natural wild fish stocks within our rivers and lakes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3881/15]
I wish to ask the Minister of State with responsibility for natural resources his views on the use of closed containment systems in aquaculture as an alternative to sea-based systems, and as a means of protecting native fish stocks.
Before the Minister of State replies, I wish to explain to the House that we were five minutes late because of the lack of a quorum. That is why we are running a little bit over time.
I thank the Deputy for tabling this question. Policy on the development of the aquaculture sector is a matter for the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
The consistent position of Ministers and Ministers of State in my Department and Inland Fisheries Ireland, IFI, the State agency with responsibility for the inland fisheries resource, has been to support aquaculture development which is environmentally sustainable and which meets the obligations of domestic, EU and international legislation, particularly the EU habitats directive and other environmental requirements.
I understand that a significant number of land-based salmon farms have been introduced in Norway and Denmark. Land-based salmon farming is also being developed in North America and in Europe with plans to initiate Europe’s largest such installation in Scotland. I am advised, however, that the development of closed containment systems in fish production internationally is at a relatively early stage.
I am also advised that analysis of land-based salmon farming demonstrates advantages of closed containment system land-based salmon aquaculture. From the perspective of IFI’s statutory responsibilities for the conservation and protection of wild salmonids, that is salmon and trout, the use of these systems would mean that segregation of farmed fish from wild species is assured and longstanding issues concerned with interaction are less likely to arise.
Other advantages identified include controls on water quality and temperature. In addition, bio-security, diseases, parasites and the delivery of daily husbandry are much easier to manage in closed systems. The elimination of threats of escapes of farmed fish into the wild environment is also cited. All of these expected benefits would be of assistance in protecting wild stocks.
As I indicated at the outset, policy on the development of aquaculture is a matter for the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The State’s seafood development body, an Bord Iascaigh Mhara, may be in a position to advise on other aspects of developments and trials of closed containment aquaculture systems in Ireland and internationally.
I thank the Minister of State for his reply, and I appreciate that the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine is primarily responsible for aquaculture. Concerns have been raised about the evolution of fish farming over the years, including salmon cages and particularly large-scale ones. There have also been concerns about escapes, lice and the effect on native stocks. Anglers are concerned about the deterioration of numbers of salmon smolts returning to our rivers. From an angling tourism viewpoint this area is hugely important.
The Minister of State listed a number of advantages of these systems and I appreciate that they are at an early stage internationally. However, there are advantages in terms of control of light, temperature and effluent, as well as the collection of nutrients from salmon.
They also provide protection from predators and losses resulting from bad weather. In addition, there is no need for pesticides or antibiotics. I accept that there are also obvious disadvantages in the context of extra costs relating to heating, pumping and lighting. However, consideration should be given to utilising these systems. Will the Minister of State and the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine examine the possibility of supporting any projects relating to land-based systems which might be forthcoming?
We must always be vigilant. Any opportunity for my officials and those of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Coveney, to collaborate on an interdepartmental level is welcome. The experience in Canada and Scotland in respect of closed containment systems indicates that major upfront capital investment is required. This approach is at the development stage. Opportunities relating to it will obviously present themselves in the future as both the science and the technology move forward. It should be noted that closed containment systems are not necessarily located in coastal areas. Such systems merely need to be situated close to a readily-available freshwater supply. The Deputy suggested that we continue to engage in dialogue. If any collaborative opportunities arise for my Department and that of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Coveney, in the context of developing sustainable aquaculture, which is central to my portfolio, while ensuring environmental sustainability in the first instance, then we will consider them.
