asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state the nature of the proposals, which were submitted to him by the Cork Harbour Commissioners, and in respect of which a grant of £400,000 from the National Development Fund was recently authorised; further, whether such proposals provided for (i) the widening and deepening of the liner anchorage at Cobh, (ii) the establishment and extension of a deep water quay at Cobh, (iii) the reconstruction of Cobhyh town pier, which as now been converted into a mere boat slip because of its dangerous condition and from which more than 700 workers have to leave daily and nightly for work on Haulbowline, (iv) the dredging and repair of Ballinacurra pier and harbour, (v) the repair and reconstruction of Aghada pier, and (vi) the reconstruction and repair of Monkstown pier.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cork Harbour Development.
The works proposed by the Cork Harbour Commissioners, towards the cost opf which a grant from the National Development Fund of 90 per cent. of the cost of £400,000, whichever is the less, has been authorised are as follows :—
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£ |
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(1) Reconstruction of North Quays and provision of a turning basin at an estimated cost of |
360,000 |
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and |
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(2) extension of Trivoil Embankment at an estimated cost of |
70,000 |
The proposals did not include any of the works indicated at (i) to (vi) in the Deputy's question.
Is the Minister aware that before the Dáil adjourned I asked him if he could give us the boundaries of Cork Harbou? I have since gone through the file that he told me to look into and I find that the inner boundary of Cork Harbour is across from Monkstown to Rushbrooke, down to Cariagaline, that that does bnot embrace the City of Cork where £360,000 is proposed to be spent, an d while the Minister for Finance gave it out here that this matter was being given consideration under the National Development Fund, I should like to know how the Harbour Development Fund money is being spent.
The Lord Mayor's dart.
Will the Minister agree that the proposal from the Cork Harbour Board was approved by his predecessor to the extent mentioned, and will the Minister further agree that the boundary extension of Cork Harbour goes as far as the Lord Mayor can throw a dart?
Will the Deputy tell Deputy Corry how far he can throw it?
All I am asking is whether this money is being spent inside——
The Lord Mayor's dart.
——inside the boundary of the Cork Harbour, and far inside it.
May I be permitted to say this by way of explanation in the hope that it will curb Deputy Corry's desire for civil war with Deputy McGrath? As far as this civil war is concerned between the two Cork Deputies, I propose to take a very neutral attitude.
Question No. 3.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will introduce proposals for legislation to compel Cork Harbour Commissioners to put into a proper state of repair the piers in Cobh Harbour, which are at present in a dangerous condition.
The responsibilities of a harbour authority for the maintenance of their harbour and of the harbour works under their control are already prescribed by Section 47 of the Harbours Act, 1946. Any representations about the condition of the piers at Cobh should, accordingly, be addressed to the Cork Harbour Commissioners. As I indicated in reply to a question from the Deputy on 17th November last, extensive repairs to the Town Pier at Cobh have recently been carried out by the Harbour Commissioners.
Arising out of the question, is the Minister aware that he was requested during a recent visit to Cobh to see the pier and that he was very carefully spirited away from it? As a Labour Party Minister, I should like that he would see where 700 men have to get on board——
This does not seem to be a supplementary question.
Is the Minister aware that this pier has been certified as quite safe by the harbour board engineer?
And that is the answer to Deputy Corry's question.