My Department is responsible for overseeing the allocation of EU funding under seaports measures of (1) The Operational Programme for Peripherality (OPP) 1989 1993, and for the period 1994 – 1999 allocation of EU funding under (2) the Operational Programme for Transport (OPT), (3) the Ireland Wales Maritime INTERREG Community Initiative and (4) the Cohesion Fund, as approved by the relevant monitoring committees for each funding mechanism.
Over the period 1994-1999, some £160 million will have been invested in Irish commercial seaports which includes EU co-financing of approximately £80 million. This followed an £80 million programme of modernisation and expansion already completed under the OPP.
Exchequer funding totalling some £7 million was also made available to a number of ports during the period in question and in particular for the smaller regional ports which come under the Harbours Act, 1946.
In addition, a special grant of some £3.2 million was made available to the then Waterford Harbour Authority in advance of its vesting as a fully fledged commercial State company on 11 January 1999 in order to facilitate such corporation.
It is not possible to collate fully the information sought by the Deputy in the time available, in particular the State assistance given to each port concerned and the origin of the grant aid. I have asked my Department to compile the information as soon as possible and to forward it directly to the Deputy.