Law changes 'are not enough to fix Ireland's broken aquaculture system'
Sector body tells politicians that proposed amendments don't go far enough
Proposed improvements to Ireland’s aquaculture licensing regime may not be enough to deliver a fit-for-purpose permitting system, members of an Oireachtas (parliament) committee have been told.
Finian O’Sullivan, chair of the Irish Farmers’ Association’s Aquaculture branch (IFA Aquaculture) delivered the assessment to members of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Fisheries and Maritime Affairs during pre-legislative scrutiny of the Fisheries (Amendment) Bill 2026 yesterday.
The amendments are intended to speed up and streamline permitting for fishfish and shellfish farm licences, which can currently take up to a decade to be decided.
Good intentions
“Overall, the intention to improve arrangements for licence renewal and determinations, strengthen the capacity of the appeals system, modernise enforcement and improve the interaction between aquaculture and foreshore licensing is welcomed,” O’Sullivan told the committee, which contains members of the Seanad (upper house) and Dáil (lower house).
“However, we have serious reservations whether these legislative measures will deliver the necessary reforms needed to deliver a licensing system that is efficient, transparent, properly resourced and capable of providing regulatory certainty.
“This Bill should not only be an opportunity simply to amend legislation, but to create a licensing structure that gives responsible aquaculture businesses the certainty and confidence they need to invest, operate, and develop for the future.
“This will also require the sufficient resources and political will to implement the necessary reforms needed in the aquaculture licensing system.”
500-plus renewals in the queue
IFA Aquaculture’s full statement to the committee said current proposed amendments will not immediately address the current backlog of more than 500 licence renewals awaiting determination.
The Bill proposes that renewal applications must be submitted at least 24 months before the expiry of an existing licence and extends the statutory period for determining applications from four months to 24 months. Where a licence has been applied for and the marine minister is unlikely to determine the application within the required period of time, the minister may extend the licence for a temporary period.
“However, it is not clear how or when the minister would make such a determination. There is uncertainty around what environmental threshold must be met, and it also appears that there is no process or criteria specified,” said O’Sullivan.
“Aquaculture producers need certainty to make decisions on investment, stock, employment and the future development of their businesses.”
O’Sullivan added that a producer who has submitted a valid and timely renewal application should not face having to cease operating because of delays in the State’s licensing system that are outside their control.
Appeals Board changes
IFA Aquaculture welcomes proposed changes to Ireland’s Aquaculture Licences Appeals Board, which include increased flexibility in Board membership, broader expertise, a transparent appointment process, remote meetings, and the use of divisions of the Board to support the speedier handling of appeals.
“However, legislative changes alone will not resolve delays unless the Board is properly resourced … We would therefore urge the minister to ensure that these reforms are matched by the resources, expertise, and administrative capacity necessary to deliver a more efficient appeals system.”
The Bill introduces significant new enforcement provisions. IFA Aquaculture said it accepts the need for effective enforcement and for strong action against serious or persistent non-compliance, but these powers must be proportionate, fair and transparent.
“The objective should be to achieve compliance wherever possible, while retaining appropriate sanctions where they are necessary.”
