196. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the improvements that have been made to processing times in relation to aquaculture licences; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44477/26]

Applications for aquaculture licences are considered by my Department in accordance with the provisions of the Fisheries (Amendment) Act 1997, the Foreshore Act 1933 (as amended) and applicable national and EU legislation.  The licensing process is complex and involves consultation with a wide range of scientific and technical advisors, in addition to various Statutory Consultees.  The legislation also provides for a period of public consultation.

The length of time taken to process an aquaculture licence application varies depending on a number of factors including location, species, scale and intensity of production, statutory status of sites and potential visual impact. My Department also takes full account of all scientific and technical advice, in addition to all issues identified during the public and statutory consultation phases.

Further factors that can impact the time taken to process an application can include; the requirement for an Appropriate Assessment and whether the application is required to be accompanied by an Environmental Impact Assessment Report; the need for additional underwater or archaeological assessments, etc.  Decisions in respect of aquaculture licence applications are only taken following the fullest consideration of all consultations and public interest elements of each application, including environmental considerations.

My Department has allocated funding under the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) to enable the Marine Institute to recruit two additional technical experts to focus solely on the completion of Appropriate Assessments for Aquaculture Licensing. This resource will be targeted to deal with those applications on hand, and those anticipated to be received in the coming years. Additionally, my Department has engaged the services of an external environmental consultant to assist with clearing the current back log of Appropriate Assessments, as appropriate.

Every effort is being made by my Department to expedite the determination of all outstanding applications, having regard to the complexities involved and the need to fully comply with all relevant national and EU legislation.