I propose to take Questions Nos. 328 and 329 together.
Inch Strand is within a Special Protection Area and a Special Area of Conservation. Any proposal to develop a golf course on the site must be subjected to an appropriate assessment of the implications of such a development on these areas. Golf course developments are subject to planning permission and it would fall to the planning authority, in this case Kerry County Council, to undertake the assessment as part of the planning process.
I am aware of plans by the owners of Inch Strand to develop a golf course on the site but I understand that no formal proposals have yet been made. As a statutory consultee under the Planning and Development Acts, my view will be sought if such a planning application is made. My officials have been in contact with the owners and their representatives over the past number of years to offer advice on the implications of the designations for developments on the site. At their request, I agreed recently to meet with them, along with officials from my Department, to discuss their proposals for the site.