Applications in respect of land based aquaculture licences are considered by my Department in accordance with the provisions of the Fisheries (Amendment) Act 1997. The legislation provides for extensive consultation with stakeholders including a period of general public consultation.
Any application for specific land based facilities is primarily an operational matter for the applicant. All applications for aquaculture licences regardless of the location of the site, in respect of which the applications are made, are referred to a wide range of consultees for comment. These include, inter alia, the Marine Institute, Inland Fisheries Ireland, the Department of Environment Community and Local Government, Fáilte Ireland, An Taisce and the National Parks and Wildlife Service. In addition my Department’s Engineering Division provides technical advice on each application.