Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 July 2015
412. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 103 of 25 June 2015, if the definition of offshore aquaculture used by his Department in the national strategic plan for aquaculture development can be applied to salmon farms anywhere on the foreshore, and therefore that his previous strategy concerning the placement of salmon farms in deeper water is now exposed as nonsense. [29123/15]
View answerApplications for Aquaculture Licences for the cultivation of finfish in the marine environment are considered by my Department under the provisions of the Fisheries (Amendment) Act 1997 and the Foreshore Act 1933.
It is a matter for individual applicants to determine the precise location for which they wish to apply for a licence to operate a marine finfish farm. In its role as Licensing Authority my Department does not adopt a pre-disposition in respect of locations, and assesses each application on its merits and by reference to applicable legislation.
Determinations in respect of individual applications are only made following completion of the procedures set down in the applicable legislation and the consideration of all environmental, technical, scientific and public policy aspects of each application.
As the Deputy is aware, the National Strategic Plan for Sustainable Aquaculture Development has been published by my Department and is currently the subject of public consultation. It would not be appropriate for anyone to seek to pre-judge the outcome of the consultation process or any actions that might follow on from that process.
