Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 October 2017
476. Deputy Tom Neville asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 247 of 18 May 2017, if an aquacultural licence will be granted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42926/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe application for an aquaculture licence referred to by the Deputy is in respect of a site located in Castlemaine Harbour, which is designated as a Special Area of Conservation under the EU Habitats Directive and a Special Protection Area under the EU Birds Directive (Natura 2000 site).
All applications in, "Natura", areas are required to be appropriately assessed for the purpose of environmental compliance with the EU Birds and Habitats Directives. My Department, in conjunction with the Marine Institute and the National Parks and Wildlife Service, NPWS, is engaged in a comprehensive programme of gathering the necessary baseline data appropriate to the Conservation Objectives of, "Natura", areas. This data collection programme is substantially complete. This is followed by data analysis and the setting of appropriate Conservation Objectives by the NPWS. Once this process is complete all new, renewal and review aquaculture applications can be appropriately assessed for the purpose of ensuring compliance with the EU Birds and Habitats Directives.
The Appropriate Assessment of Castlemaine Harbour has been completed and the relevant licensing determinations have been made based on applications to hand at the time of the assessment.
The specific application referred by the Deputy was submitted to my Department subsequent to the carrying out of the Appropriate Assessment process for this harbour. Accordingly, it was not possible to assess this application against the designated Conservation Objectives for the harbour.
The optimum method for appropriately assessing applications by individual operators, who were not included in the initial overall assessment procedure, is under active consideration by my Department. The process must comply with best scientific practice and be achieved in a manner which will be acceptable to the national authorities and to the European Commission.
In the meantime, the assessment procedures agreed with the European Commission require Appropriate Assessments in respect of aquaculture activities to be carried out by the national authorities and unilateral departure from these arrangements is not possible.
Every effort is being made to expedite the conclusion of this matter as soon as possible.
