2.—(1) Where before the commencement of section 74 of the Act of 1997 an application was made for a fish culture licence under section 15 of the Principal Act such application shall—

(a) be deemed always to have been capable of being so made under the said section 15 notwithstanding the enactment of section 54 of the Act of 1980, and

(b) be determined in accordance with the said section 74.

(2) Where pursuant to section 19 of the Act of 1933 the Minister has caused notice of an application for a licence for the purposes of aquaculture to be published in accordance with the said section 19, then such notice shall be deemed to be a public notice for the purposes of subsection (3) of section 74 of the Act of 1997.