A year-long delay in Cork mussel farm decision

THE appeals board, ruling on the controversial application to develop a 23-hectare mussel farm in Kinsale Harbour, has said a decision will not be made for a year.

In a letter provided to all appellants on Tuesday, a representative for the Aquaculture Licences Appeals Board (ALAB) said that due to the volume of submissions made to the board in reference to the development, a determination will not be made until October 5, 2026.

This notice comes two weeks ahead of the initial stated determination date of October 29, 2025.

“Section 56(2)(a) of the Fisheries (Amendment) Act 1997 requires that the Aquaculture Licences Appeals Board endeavours to determine an appeal within a period of four months, beginning on the date of receipt by the board of the notice of appeal,” the spokesperson said.

“The board reviewed this timescale at its meeting on October 6, 2025 and has formed the view that it will not be in a position to determine this appeal by that date, due to having to consider the logistics of managing the appeals, given the number of appellants, and assessing all the issues raised in each appeal.

“Accordingly, the board hereby gives notice, as provided for in section 56(3) of the act, of its intention to determine the appeal by October 5, 2026.”

Approved 

The licence application for the mussel farm, initially lodged in 2018 by Waterford-based company Woodstown Bay Shellfish Ltd, was approved by the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine in May.

Between May 31 and June 30, an appeals window to overturn the farm’s approval was opened, and 147 submissions were lodged with the board.

Speaking to The Echo, local resident Donal Hayes said the board’s decision to push the determination date by a year “beggars belief”.

“I am hugely disappointed, but I’m not surprised,” said Mr Hayes.

“It’s very annoying. It’s a clear-cut case, everybody knows the situation, there’s no ambiguity: Just make a call.

“We’ve literally done everything you could think of: We’ve provided all the marine reports; provided all the ecological reports; provided all the input from publicans, restaurants, and hoteliers; we’ve given them the whole lot. I just don’t understand it.

“There’s no excuse given, just that it’s going to take another year, and that’s it. It beggars belief.”

Objections

The planned development, which received 609 previous objections, between 2019 and 2021, will see the commercial cultivation of mussels in Kinsale Harbour, using bottom culture on the sub-tidal foreshore, at a site between the Dock Beach, James Fort, and Charles Fort.

There was widespread opposition to the mussel farm following its approval, with 500 people and 110 vessels attending a land-and-sea protest at the Dock Beach in June, and 7,500 signatures received via a combined in-person and online petition, which was presented to members of the department outside the Dáil in July. A representative for the ALAB said the agency “cannot comment” on the progress of the case, which is at stage-three information gathering, with any further updates to be posted on their website.

Independent Ireland Cork South West TD Michael Collins raised the issue in the Dáil on Wednesday, urging Taoiseach Micheál Martin to change the guidelines in which applications for such developments can be assessed.

“Taoiseach, I raised this issue with you before in relation to the proposed mussel farm in Kinsale,” said Mr Collins.

“This proposal will cover a vast area of sea, which will have huge negative consequences for tourism, water sports, and fishermen in the area.

“The guidelines must be changed. This application has been going on [for years], and now we find out this week that the decision to refuse the licence, or give it, has been kicked down the road.

“Taoiseach, [more than] 7,000 people signed objections to this, and surely [those] voices will have to be heard here,” he added.

“The department [must] stop this carry-on of putting the decision off for another 12 months, and make the right decision [to] stop that mussel farm in Kinsale.”

Importance

In response to Mr Collins, Mr Martin said that he appreciates “the importance of this issue and the impact it’s having on the community in Kinsale”.

“I think the very fact that it’s been put off may suggest a fairly significant examination of this [application] in all of its aspects,” said Mr Martin.

“I will keep in touch with the deputy on it, and with the authorities as well.”

Kinsale resident Marc Ó Riain, who spearheaded the local petition, said the board’s decision will, hopefully, “make space for public engagement”.

“I didn’t expect them to make a decision on this before the end of the year,” said Mr Ó Riain.

“There’s no way they were going to do it within the 8-12 week timeframe.”

“We have suggested to the ALAB that they engage with us on six different topic grounds, [and] we would have been very disappointed if they didn’t give us an oral hearing.

“With the amount of effort that has gone in from the community to fight this mussel farm, I think the least they can do is actually listen to us.

“By putting it off for another year, it will hopefully make space for public engagement from the ALAB with all appellants, making a more inclusive and fairer process.”