Foreshore Licence Applications

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 July 2017

Wednesday, 26 July 2017

Ceisteanna (612, 613)

Catherine Connolly

Ceist:

612. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the steps that have been taken to ensure that the Heritage Council has adequate resources to provide a comment on the matter of foreshore planning consent for a high priority strategic project foreshore lease planning application on Galway Bay (details supplied) to construct an offshore electricity generating station, in view of the fact that the council had previously cited limitations on staff resources as the reason it could not comment on the application; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35900/17]

Catherine Connolly

Ceist:

613. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the steps that will be taken to ensure that the Heritage Council can formulate and provide an informed recommendation regarding the protection of national heritage to the appropriate Minister before the decision is made, as requested by her Department on 10 and 31 March 2016, in respect of foreshore planning consent on Galway Bay (details supplied) to construct an offshore electricity generating station; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35901/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs

I propose to take Questions Nos. 612 and 613 together.

I refer the Deputy to my response to Questions No 489 and 490 of 28 February last.

The Heritage Council is an independent statutory body, under the aegis of my Department, established in accordance with the Heritage Act 1995 and is separately a statutory consultee to the planning process, as a prescribed body under the Planning and Development Acts 2000, as amended. Observations made by the Heritage Council in this regard are a matter for the Council, and it is entirely a matter for it to set its own priorities and allocate resources in regard to making observations to licensing authorities.

My Department has been unable to identify the requests referred to by the Deputy.