asked the Minister for Transport and Power if he will make a statement as to what proposals exist for the improvement and development of Arklow Harbour.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Arklow Harbour Development.
23.
Following a hydraulic model investigation which was financed by a full-cost State grant of £200,000, the Arklow Harbour Commissioners applied in March, 1968, for a State grant of £766,000 to finance the full cost of a major harbour improvement scheme. They were informed that a State grant of this amount could not be justified having regard to the prospective level of trade of Arklow harbour. Later they represented that portion of the North Pier was in a bad state of repair and also that dredging was urgently required. I have now approved a grant, subject to a maximum of £20,000, to meet the full cost of the repair works at the North Pier and have also conveyed my consent to the borrowing by the Commissioners of up to £20,000 to finance the dredging work needed.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary in a position to say when the urgent dredging needed will be undertaken? I take it the Parliamentary Secretary is aware of the situation which now exists in Arklow Harbour where dredging is urgently needed and where Nítrigin Éireann Teo have had to divert their ships to another harbour? Can the Parliamentary Secretary say when dredging will commence?
My information from the report of the consulting engineer is that he indicated recently that arrangements for the dredging are well advanced and that work is expected to start on 2nd December, which will be next week.
I do not know whether this is a fair question, but could the Parliamentary Secretary hold out any hope of having a dredger available permanently for Arklow and other ports off the east coast that require dredging periodically?
That would be for the Office of Public Works really, but I do know that the Arklow Harbour Commissioners had an offer of a dredger from the Office of Public Works which they did not purchase. Maybe they had their own reasons for that, but there was the offer of a dredger at a reasonable price.
This was for the "Fág-an-Bealach"?
Yes.
I think the Board of Works would have been prepared to give it away at the time. I am talking about a modern dredger. Is there not urgent need to have a modern dredger in operation?
This problem at the moment is peculiar to Arklow. As the Deputy says, it is a separate question altogether, but I will admit—and I have discussed this matter with representatives of the Arklow Harbour Commissioners—they have a number of problems and the more urgent of them are being tackled at present.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary have discussions with the Board of Works in connection with the unrealistic price charged by them for the hiring of the equipment in connection with the dredging operations in Arklow?
That is a separate question.
That does not arise any more. That dredger has been scrapped.