Relevant Matter
Public policy or programme
Public Policy Area
Marine
Period
1 Jan, 2026 to 30 Apr, 2026
Specific Details
Fisheries & Maritime Affairs - Aquaculture Licensing
Intended results
To stress that the aquaculture sector fully supports robust environmental assessment, compliance with national & EU legislation, and the protection of our marine environment. What we are seeking is a licensing process that is timely, coherent, properly resourced, and legally robust.
To emphasise that it is now critical that a single piece of legislation is brought forward to implement and underpin appropriate aquaculture policy and bring together all the existing primary, secondary and amended legislation in one single provision.
To seek modernisation of the licensing system with 20-year licences. There needs to be clear timelines & certainty for Licence determinations.
To stress that the correct resources, staffing & expertise for appropriate assessment and environmental assessment work is required.
To seek improved access to funding despite licensing delays.
To examine the validity of a Plan-led approach – a Designated Maritime Area Plan (DMAP) for the Irish Aquaculture sector must be examined, to investigate if there are advantages of the plan-led approach
Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity
Finian O'Sullivan IFA Aquaculture Chair, Teresa Morrissey IFA Aquaculture Policy Executive
Did any Designated Public Official(DPO) or former Designated Public Official(DPO) carry out lobbying activities on your behalf in relation to this return? You must include yourself, and answer Yes, if you are a current DPO or a DPO at any time in the past. (What is a Designated Public Official?)
No
Did you manage or direct a grassroots campaign?
No
Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client?
No
Lobbying activity
The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.
Designated public officials lobbied
The following DPOs were lobbied during this return period on this specific Subject Matter Area. These DPOs were involved in at least one of the Lobbying Activities listed above, but not necessarily all of them.
As returns are specific to a Subject Matter Area the above Lobbying Activities may be associated with multiple returns.
Charles Ward
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Conor D McGuinness
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Jennifer Whitmore
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Joe Cooney
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Michael Cahill
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Padráig Mac Lochlainn
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Pat 'the cope' Gallagher
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)