Aquaculture Development

Tuesday, 26 March 2013

Questions (479)

Michael McNamara

Question:

479. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in view of his statement in the Dáil on 6 March 2013 that Food Harvest 2020 constitutes a Government strategic plan he will now have its aquaculture proposals subjected to Strategic Environmental Assessment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15104/13]

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Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

All applications for aquaculture licences are dealt with under the provisions of the 1997 Fisheries (Amendment) Act and the 1933 Foreshore Act, as amended. The provisions of the Strategic Environmental Assessment Regulations are applied to such applications where appropriate. Following assessment by my Department of an application for the cultivation of finfish in Galway Bay it was deemed not to require a Strategic Environmental Assessment.