Vol. 497 No. 5
84 Mr. Kenneally asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources the status of a licence application under the foreshore Acts for the extraction of commercial quantities of sand and gravel from the main spawning bed outside Dunmore East; the position in relation to the public consultation process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25700/98]
In February 1998 the applicants submitted to my Department an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which had been prepared in respect of the proposals.
Following consideration by the Department's specialists, notice of the application was published in local and national newspapers in July 1998 and the proposals together with EIS were put on public display. A month was allowed for objections or representations to be submitted to the Department.
The Department received a number of objections, all of which were referred for comments to consultants acting on behalf of the applicants. Objections, together with consultants' comments, were then referred to the Department's specialists for examination.
Clarification or elaboration on a number of points was considered necessary to enable the examination to be completed and has accordingly been sought from the consultants.
