Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 9 Mar 1993

Vol. 427 No. 6

Written Answers. - County Waterford Shellfish Development.

Proinsias De Rossa

Ceist:

197 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for the Marine if Dungarvan Bay in County Waterford has been designated for the purpose of shellfish development; if he will name the individuals, or companies who have been given foreshore licences for oyster farming in this bay; and the procedures, if any, that were followed.

Minister for the Marine (Mr. Andrews)

Dungarvan Harbour has not been designated for aquaculture under the Fisheries Act, 1980. A number of individual applications for licensing of shellfish operations at specific sites in the Harbour are being considered under the Fisheries (Consolidation) Act, 1959 and the Foreshore Act, 1933.

Applications are being assessed by the Department from the relevant technical and scientific perspectives. A public consultative process (which includes advertisement of proposals in the local press) is underway, involving the local authority and local community interests as well as other relevant bodies including the Wildlife Service, with a view to securing the agreement of all concerned to the allocation of sites as between the various applicants.

To date, three licences have been granted to three shellfish operators in Dungarvan Harbour. The licensees are as follows: Waterford Shellfish Ltd in respect of oyster and clam cultivation; Iasc Sliogach Dungarbhan in respect of oyster cultivation; and PKA Ltd in respect of oyster and clam cultivation.