I thank you, a Cheann Comhairle, for facilitating this Adjournment Debate. I wish to advise you that I will be sharing my time with Deputy O'Donoghue and perhaps Deputy O'Leary.
Adjournment Debate. - County Kerry Pier Closure.
Is that satisfactory? Agreed.
It came as a great shock to the people in the Cahirciveen area to find that barriers had been erected closing access and exit from Renard pier. Having regard to its condition over a period it may not be entirely unexpected. The apparent neglect in having the pier maintained at an acceptable standard is now water under the bridge and no purpose would be served by referring to it. The important issue for the Minister and the Department at this stage is that the essential repair work be undertaken without further delay. The closure caused frustration and worry to those who are actively involved with the pier and its value to the community.
As an indication of its value over the last 12 months from 1 January 1989 to 31 December 1989 — even when the pier was functioning at substandard levels and incapable of taking much of the traffic that, had it been up to standard, would be visiting there and bringing substantial contributions in wealth — 134 ships in excess of 30 metres visited and discharged at the port. Fifty thousand boxes of fish were delivered at an estimated value of £3 million. The sum of £270,000 was spent on transport to and from the pier mainly by Kerry hauliers. A sum of £225,000 for the oil which serviced the ships was paid to a Kerry supplier and involved a minimum of three jobs, £30,000 worth of ice was taken out from the local fish processing centre through the pier. Approximately £35,000 was spent on foodstuffs by those coming to the pier and approximately £30,000 was spent on other services.
Of the 134 ships visiting, taking the minimum of 15 persons per crew and an average expenditure of £10 — which is exceptionally small in the case of seamen — it would have enriched the community by £40,000. This, for an area like Cahirciveen, even on a reduced basis, is a very substantial income that it can ill afford to lose.
In addition there is a very considerable tourism spin-off from the use of the ferry crossing from the point to Valentia Island, which is widely used and appreciated by those who go from the pier to Skelling Rock and those who go on the fishing trips etc. It is important to remember that Cahirciveen is at best a disadvantaged area in regard to industry and its earning capacity. To deprive it for any length of time of the use of the pier would be a total disaster for the area.
I want to impress on the Minister and his Department tonight that there is no use in having regrets over the neglect of the pier, the important thing is that the renovation work is undertaken without delay. While I appreciate that the Minister will have to get some engineering advice and expertise in that field there is no doubt that having regard to the existence of this pier over a long number of years a substantial volume of such engineering advice and other expertise could readily be available through the county council and through the Office of Public Works who have responsibility. I appeal to the Minister, in respect of the speedy development that the people of Cahirciveen would welcome and, indeed, would expect, to give a guarantee that, once the engineering and expert investigations are concluded, the necessary moneys will then be available. This is the crunch issue. In relation to the moneys I am assured that Kerry County Council will provide 25 per cent, and I am sure they will not renege no matter where it comes from, because the development is so vital to the area and the nature of the services conducted there are so traditional that it is absolutely essential that they are restored at the earliest possible date. In summing up I would ask the Minister to say to the people of Cahirciveen that, once the engineering and the expert investigation is completed at the earliest possible date — which should not take too long — the necessary moneys will be available through the co-operation of his Department with Kerry County Council and that the work of restoring this valuable pier will be commenced without delay.
I sincerely thank my colleague, Deputy Moynihan, for allowing me to share his time on this very important issue. Valentia harbour contains four important fishing ports situated at Portmagee, Cahirciveen, Knightstown and Renard. The case for major development works at Portmagee to service the local fleet is undeniable. Emergency works to restore Renard pier to its previous condition are urgently required. The present position is that the pier is severely debilitated from the structural point of view and is liable to collapse. Due to its dangerous condition Kerry County Council have closed the pier until improvement works sought are carried out. Immediate structural repair work to the existing pier is necessary in the interests of stabilisation and preservation. This work will consist of extensive concreting and the provision of fendering. Dredging works would also need to be carried out adjacent to the pier to facilitate mooring. The Kerry county engineer estimates the cost of this work at £160,000.
Valentia harbour is one of the most natural deep water harbours in the country; one could go so far as to say that it is the most natural deep water harbour along the west coast. It is the nearest harbour to the Porcupine Bank. It is, of course, grossly under-utilised due to the lack of a proper infrastructure. A major development at Portmagee and the restoration of Renard pier would provide a major boost to the local economy of south-west Kerry and the fishing industry.
Renard Pier, which is adjacent to my home town of Cahirciveen, was one of our major fishing ports and harbours during the forties but due to neglect down the years and a lack of proper infrastructure, the fishing industry today is not what it was. Nonetheless everything Deputy Moynihan said about the pier is correct. It is of crucial importance to the economic life of the south-west Kerry area which has suffered so much from emigration and unemployment for so many years. Renard Pier is the shortest link to Valentia Island and its closure means that those living on Valentia Island are no longer able to cross the half mile or so by sea to the mainland and are obliged at all times to travel by road a distance of about 14 or 15 miles to the main town. In addition it is an important port because people visiting the famous Skellig Rock utilise this pier regularly.
I should like to thank the Minister for the Marine for visiting this pier and Portmagee during his recent visit to the south-west Kerry area. I have no hesitation in saying that these two piers are of crucial importance to the life of the people of the area. The prolonged closure of this facility will have a devastating effect on the economy of the area. Kerry County Council are willing to put up 25 per cent of the moneys required for this work. I urge the Minister to deal with this matter urgently and to provide the necessary funding to enable works to commence.
I know that you, a Cheann Comhairle, are a man of great humanity and I will have your sympathy when dealing not merely with one but two Kerry teams on the Adjournment tonight.
The Minister dealt with them in 1949.
I thank the Deputies for their contributions. I have been aware of the position in relation to Renard Pier for some time. As Deputy John O'Donoghue said, I had the advantage of inspecting Renard Pier within the past month. At the same time I visited Portmagee which has also been referred to.
As has been said, Valentia Harbour contains four landing places — Cahirciveen, Renard Point, Knightstown and Portmagee, where there is a very strong locally based fishing fleet. In 1983 a major development scheme was completed at Cahirciveen at a cost of £500,000. Since then local attention has been focused on the development of Portmagee and Renard Point.
The existing pier at Renard was erected in 1965-66 to cater for the then existing fleet and an allowance was made during the erection of the pier for an increase in its size. It was not designed to cater for severe berthing blows from large steel hulled fishing boats, coasters and cargo boats, In fact, the night I visited Renard one of those steel hulled boats was banging against the pier and obviously inflicting severe damage. As the Deputy is aware responsibility for the repair and maintenance of Renard Pier rests with Kerry County Council.
I do not know whether Deputies Moynihan, O'Donoghue and O'Leary are members of Kerry County Council but I regret to have to say that the council were requested to undertake the necessary maintenance work in 1981. Subsequent reports indicated ongoing deterioration of the pier because no repair work was carried out. It is significant to note that the fendering was being continuously damaged by berthing blows from large fishing boats which caused the tie rods to become exposed. Some of these tie rods were cut and this has been a major factor causing the subsidence.
An estimate of the cost of restoring the pier was given at £115,000 in 1986. Failure to carry out this maintenance work has resulted in a continuing deterioration of the pier to its present state where, as we heard from Deputies, its closure on safety grounds was announced by Kerry County Council on 1 February this year. It is estimated that £200,000 will now be required for the restoration of the pier.
My Department are at present updating their five year fishery harbour development programme and local authorities, including Kerry County Council, have been invited to provide a formal input into the programme. Consideration of proposals for harbour developments at Valentia will be made in the context of the programme of harbour development priorities to be submitted to my Department by Kerry County Council. I appeal to the Deputies concerned to urge Kerry County Council to send me their prioritised list as soon as possible. When Kerry County Council's response is received it will be examined and a decision taken in relation to Renard Pier.
I should like to conclude by emphasising that the south Kerry region has benefited considerably in recent years from investment by my Department. As I already mentioned Cahirciveen Pier was the subject of major development in 1983 and very substantial funds are at present being invested in an imaginative scheme to upgrade Dingle Harbour.