Foreshore Issues

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 7 May 2014

Wednesday, 7 May 2014

Ceisteanna (143)

Anne Ferris

Ceist:

143. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide an update on the assessment by his Department of the most recent foreshore lease application made by a company (details supplied) for the carrying out of geotechnical and geophysical site investigation works off the coast of County Wicklow near Greystones, County Wicklow; if an independent landscape and visuals consultant has at any time been engaged by his Department to assess the visual impact of the offshore wind farm development from protected landscape areas in Bray, Greystones and along the Wicklow coast; in view of the fact that there is no longer a plan in place for an intergovernmental energy export agreement if this application should be considered legally premature and returned to the applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20476/14]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government

A lease application under section 2 of the Foreshore Act 1933 was received by my Department on 25 March 2009 to construct an offshore windfarm known as Codling II on the Codling Banks, off the coast of County Wicklow. This application is for an extension to an already leased area at the Codling Banks, known as the Codling I offshore windfarm. Consideration of the application, including the consideration of any landscape or visual amenity issues, was placed on hold by my Department pending the publication of the Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan (OREDP). The OREDP was published by the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources in February 2014 and the lease application will now be considered in the context of the OREDP and its associated Strategic Environmental and Appropriate Assessments.

Separate to the lease application, 2 applications under section 3 of the Foreshore Act for licences to carry out site investigations in the area have been received by my Department and are currently under assessment. The purpose of these site investigation works is to assess the geotechnical conditions at the site and to gather updated baseline data in relation to environmental conditions. The grant of a licence to undertake site investigation works does not confer any entitlement on an applicant to a future lease under the Foreshore Acts.