asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether he has received a report on a survey of Dungarvan harbour carried out in 1953 by an official of the Office of Public Works and if he will state whether he is prepared to make this report available to the Dungarvan harbour authority so as to enable them to prepare a scheme of harbour improvement and development in conjunction with his Department without having to waste the ratepayer's money by employing a special engineer to carry out a further survey.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dungarvan Harbour.
An inspection of Dungarvan harbour was carried out by the Commissioners of Public Works in 1953 and a report thereon made to my Department. Following receipt of this report the Dungarvan Urban District Council, as harbour authority, were informed that, subject to certain repairs to the quay wall being effected by the council, a State grant of £500 would be made available to meet the cost of a full survey and experimental dredging of the harbour to be carried out by the Commissioners of Public Works. The question of a special engineer being employed by the council in connection with this survey and dredging does not arise. Extracts from the report relating to the quay walls can be made available to the council if required.
Is there any very serious objection to the whole report being made available?
Except that the whole report, which deals with aspects of the problem as it affects Dungarvan, does not come under the purview of the urban district council because portion of the work which may be necessary at Dungarvan may subsequently be carried out by the Commissioners of Public Works. However, if the urban district council think we have any information in our possession which would be helpful to them in carrying out any works proper to them, I will be only too glad to have the information made available to them.
The urban council would be anxious to have the report because of the fact that, contingent upon the doing of the quay, is the question as to whether or not the harbour could be made available for larger shipping. From that point of view we feel that the material collected in the survey would be helpful and I would be obliged if the Minister would consider giving us the report.
At this stage the question of seeing whether the silt in the harbour can be removed, and by what means, is under consideration by the Board of Works. The territory relating to that potential activity is one which, at this stage, would not concern the urban district council; but if there is any information in the report which would be helpful to the council, I will see that the information is made available.
Do I take it then that, as well as undertaking the work, the Department will finance the removal of the silt?
I think the Deputy may take it that the State will meet the full cost of the experiment of seeing whether the silt can be removed by the methods the Board of Works proposes to employ.